Indo-Canadian Voice Main - Nov 19 2022

Direct flights to Amritsar and Chandigarh requested by Association of NRI Pensioners Abroad, BC Chapter

Surrey Police Service will NOT stop hiring

THE Surrey Police Service will NOT stop hiring because they take instructions from the Province and NOT Surrey City Council.

THE B.C. Chapter of the Association of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Pensioners Abroad (ANRIPA) in a letter on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “take the initiative and take a personal interest” in establishing direct flights to Amritsar and Chandigarh from Vancouver and Toronto.

ANRIPA BC Chapter’s Chief Patron, Harcharan Singh Sandhu, and Patron, Jagrup Singh Khera, were reacting to Monday’s announcement by federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra of an expanded agreement that allows designated airlines to operate an unlimited number of flights between Canada and India. The agreement gives Canadian air carriers access to Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

Sandhu and Khera said the announcement was “wonderful news for Indian immigrants now residing in Canada as well as for Indians planning

to immigrate to Canada in the future,” adding: “This new arrangement will also aid in maintaining ticket costs in check and preventing unwarranted increase of ticket prices.”

However, they noted that the

Melissa Granum, Executive Director, Surrey Police Board, told The VOICE on Monday that in fact the province instructed the Board just last week to keep on doing what they are doing.

So as reported in a section of the mainstream media that “Surrey council is expected to order the fledging Surrey Police Board to stop hiring officers or taking on additional spending,” will have no effect on the Board.

On Tuesday, Solicitor General and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth made it clear to media in Victoria that he will be the one to decide the future of policing in Surrey.

He said Surrey City Council doesn’t have any authority to freeze spending, pointing out that the police transitioning plan was already in place and would continue until there was a new plan.

Surrey is supposed to send

Farnworth a plan by the end of the month. Farnworth wants a full explanation on how Surrey proposes to halt the transition, the costs involved and how it will deal with the hundreds of officers who signed in good faith to the Surrey Police Service. The RCMP, too, will have to present a plan on how they would restaff Surrey.

inclusion of Kolkata, Chennai, and Bangalore on the list of Indian cities astounded Canadian N.R.I.s because fewer than 1,000 residents of these

There seems to be resistance from the Indian government to allow direct flights to Amritsar from Canada as federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra's reply to MP Sukh Dhaliwal in the House of Commons on Tuesday implies.

Omar Alghabra and Sukh Dhaliwal in the House of Commons on Tuesday. creengrabs

Mike Farnworth. Official photo

‘We will continue to advocate for a direct flight from Canada to Amritsar’

CONTINUED FROM 1

cities in eastern or southern Indian states reside in Canada as com pared to one million Punjabis. They said that the exclusion of any Punjab airport from the list indicat ed that Punjabis were disregarded when the agreement was being prepared.

Sandhu and Khera told Trudeau: “If you and your Indian counterpart discussed this issue, Amritsar and Chandigarh might be added to the list. Over a million Punjabis with Ca nadian ancestry were born there. Air India and Air Canada currently operate flights from Toronto and Vancouver to Delhi, providing good connectivity to India. Punjabis make up more than 90% of the passengers on both of these aircraft, and after

arriving in Delhi, they must travel for more than 10 to 12 hours by road or rail to get to Punjab.”

(Meanwhile, in response to a question from Surrey-Newton MP Sukh Dhaliwal in the House of Commons on Tuesday, fed eral Transport Minister Omar Al ghabra said that Dhaliwal and he “would like to see a direct flight from Canada to Amritsar,” and added: “I raised this issue with my Indian counterpart. We will continue to advocate for this un til we see more options for Ca nadians.” That answer implies that there is resistance from the Indian government to have direct flights to Amritsar from Canada.)

Sandhu and Khera argued that the most practical air route from an economic perspective was from

Vancouver or Toronto to Amritsar or Chandigarh, which would reduce the distance about 450 km.

They asserted: “This will not only save the airline a lot of money on fuel for around an hour, but it will also shield Canadian NRI travellers from undue shame and embarrass ment that they often endure on the highways from Delhi to Punjab. The attitude of Delhi and Haryana Police vis-a-vis the NRI travellers and their vehicles on roads is always ques tionable and disgusting. I am really sorry to say that the on-road open charging of money as bribe from the drivers is an open secret and needs no description.”

They added: “The Punjabi Diaspora, which includes Canadians, perma nent residents, students, and their extended relatives in general, has

long expressed a desire for direct flights between Vancouver/Toronto and Amritsar/ Chandigarh. It is no secret that countless North Ameri can citizens make yearly trips to Amritsar, Chandigarh and Punjab to reconnect with their heritage and meet … loved ones. A direct route from Toronto and Vancouver to Amritsar/Chandigarh is now fea sible and advantageous for both the operator and the passengers.

Punjabi people in Canada, notably in the Greater Toronto Area and the Lower Mainland of British Colum bia, have been advocating for this trip. Flying from Toronto for visitors from Eastern America, and Vancou ver for those from Western America will undoubtedly have a significant positive impact on the Canadian economy and industry.”

Expanded Canada-India Air Transport Agreement to allow unlimited flights between both countries

FEDERAL Minister of Trans port, Omar Alghabra, on Monday announced the recent conclusion of an ex panded air transport agree ment between Canada and India. The expanded agreement allows desig nated airlines to operate an unlimited number of flights between the two countries.

The previous agreement limited each country to 35 flights per week.

This significant move will allow airlines of Canada and India to better respond to the needs of the CanadaIndia air transport market.

Going forward, officials of both countries will remain in contact to discuss further expansion of the agree ment.

The new rights under the expanded agreement are available for use by airlines

immediately.

Alghabra said: “The expand ed air transport agreement between Canada and India is a positive development for air transport relations between our countries. We are pleased to expand this relationship with addition

al flexibility for airlines to serve this growing market. By making the movement of goods and people faster and easier, this expanded agreement will continue to facilitate trade and invest ment between Canada and India and help our busi

nesses grow and succeed.”

Mary Ng, federal Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Develop ment, said: “The CanadaIndia economic relation ship is built on deep-rooted people to people ties. With this expanded air transport agreement, we are facilitat ing even more exchanges of professionals, students, business people, and inves tors. As we strengthen our trade and investment rela tionship with India, we will continue building bridges like this that enable our en trepreneurs, workers, and businesses to access new opportunities.”

Quick Facts:

* India is Canada’s 4th larg est international air trans port market.

* Canada’s first air trans port agreement with India was concluded in 1982, and was last expanded in 2011. This new agreement was reached under Canada’s Blue Sky policy, which en courages long-term, sus tainable competition and the development of interna tional air services.

* The agreement gives Ca nadian air carriers access to Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai, and Indian air carriers access to Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Van couver, and two additional points to be selected by In dia.

* Other cities in both coun tries can be served indi rectly through code-share services.

* Rights for all-cargo servic es are already unrestricted.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra (right) and Apoorva Srivastava, Consul General of India in Toronto (centre).

Photo: Twitter

SURREY mayor Brenda Locke is now getting increasingly desperate as she realizes that her plan to get rid of the Surrey Police Service (that was established after Doug McCallum won the 2018 municipal election on that mandate with 40 per cent of the total votes cast -as compared to the 28 per cent of the total votes cast for her in 2022 on her pledge to keep the RCMP in Surrey) is going NOWHERE!

Last week on Friday, this naïve politician who is under the RCMP’s thumb exposed her pettiness and immaturity even further when she attacked former solicitor general Kash Heed (who is now a Councillor in Richmond) for exposing the futility of her RCMP mission on CKNW’s Mike Smyth show.

After Heed’s comments on CKNW (see below for details), Locke sent the following message to Heed: “Hey Kash, How about stay in your lane. If you are such a believer work for it in Richmond.”

Boy, she messed with the wrong guy!

Heed �ired back:

“Brenda, are you sure you want to send this as is to me? Police policy/opinion/expertise have been part of my background for over 40 years. Trying to suppress me has never worked for anyone and it certainly won’t work for you. Would you like to debate this with me publicly? Thanks Kash.”

Locke replied: “Wow is exactly what I thought. For an elected of�icial to criticize the actions of another city is off side.”

Kash shot back: “Really. Not in my world! Maybe that is why politics are so screwed up. Brenda just so you know, there is no con�identiality between us anymore.”

Whoa, Locke thought she could bully Heed just as she and her RCMP supporters harassed then-mayor

Well,

ON the Mike Smyth show, Heed pointed out the absurdity of trying

to get rid of the Surrey Police Service (SPS), pointing out the mere 28 per cent mandate that Locke won (with just over 30 per cent of Surrey’s total electorate voting) and saying that hopefully the NDP government would be wise not to go back to the RCMP. As it is, he noted,

the Province is looking at a regional policing model.

He also noted that reversing the police transition would be very expensive and would tie down the City of Surrey in lawsuits for the next four years, resulting in CONFUSION and DIVISION. SPS of�icers do NOT want to join the RCMP (275 of 293 SPS frontline of�icers signed a pledge this week that they will not join the RCMP). Many SPS of�icers had retired from other police forces to join the SPS and so many of�icers had relocated to Surrey.

An SPS member who also came on the show pointed out that only 45 per of their of�icers were from the RCMP; the rest had come from municipal and provincial agencies. They had come to Surrey to build up a new police force for the City.

Heed asserted that most SPS of�icers would NOT join the RCMP and go elsewhere.

In other words, Locke is being terribly naïve if not deceptive. She is only doing what her RCMP MASTERS are telling her to do.

Doug McCallum and his supporters in Council day and night like rabid dogs.

she got kicked right back by Heed!

Kash Heed. Photo submitted

Brenda Locke. Official photo

Policing transition report prepared for Surrey City Council is full of inaccuracies

THE Surrey Police Board (SPB) and Surrey Police Service (SPS) in a statement have expressed con cern that Surrey City Council will be considering a report on Monday evening and potentially determin ing the future of Surrey’s policing transition without comprehensive information on SPS staffing levels or the financial implications asso ciated with reversing the transition. City staff have prepared a report for Council’s consideration with out the benefit of a briefing by the SPB or SPS, which would have en sured an accurate accounting of all human resource and financial aspects of the issue, the statement noted.

Instead, the report inaccurately reflects SPS’s current staffing, cit ing only the 154 deployed SPS of ficers, which the reports notes is 21% of the “targeted strength of 734 police officers”. However, SPS has a total of 315 police officers, which represents 43% of the tar geted strength. The additional 161 officers are waiting for deployment (35 at the end of November) and/or working in administrative roles that are required for either the normal functioning of any police agency, or to develop the infrastructure for a new police service.

The statement said that the SPB also employs 59 civilians, of which 34 (58%) were hired from outside the City of Surrey/RCMP Detach ment to fill positions not required in RCMP detachments. All told, at least 349 sworn and civilian em

ployees would be terminated from their employment if the transition was reversed. Alternatively, the transition away from the RCMP would see RCMP officers being re-assigned to other detachments/ units, most likely within the Lower Mainland.

The statement also pointed out that the report also fails to highlight a number of significant financial implications for Council’s consid eration (see financial background er below), which include almost $108.3 million in costs incurred to date, as of October 31 and the prospect of a massive severance liability.

Reversing the transition would re sult in an estimated $188.5 million loss of investment into SPS, which is approximately six months away from being operationally ready to become the police of jurisdiction.

Furthermore, the SPB’s recently completed financial forecast of steady state operations projects a

$18.3M cost difference between SPS and the RCMP, which should be considered, for an informed de cision. The report also inaccurately attributes the $20.6 million policing budget shortfall to SPS, when the City previously attributed the over age to the RCMP in their Q2 2022 financial corporate report.

In order for Council to make an informed decision on the future of Surrey’s policing model, the SPB and SPS believe that council needs to consider a number of factors not contemplated in the City’s report, including:

* Documented inability of the RCMP to provide adequate staffing in BC and across Canada.

* Surrey RCMP’s ongoing issues to staff the detachment appropriately for both sworn and civilian posi tions (including the staffing of the critical Operational Communica tion Centre).

* Lack of interest by SPS officers to join the RCMP (94%, as per the Sur

rey Police Union).

* Accurate staffing numbers for SPS and the financial and human implications of terminations, in cluding the cost of severances.

* Details on the non-recoverable costs, including the majority of SPS IT equipment, which is not com patible with RCMP infrastructure.

The Surrey Police Board and Sur rey Police Service said they want to ensure that city council has the full picture of the status of the policing transition, including an accurate accounting of the financial, hu man resources and public safety implications, so they can make an informed decision on this matter.

FINANCIAL BACKGROUNDER

• $108.3M in salaries/benefits and capital/equipment investments have been invested into Surrey Po lice Service (SPS) and the policing transition as of October 31, 2022.

• By year end next month, unre coverable sunk costs are forecast ed to be as high as $107M.

• The IT buildout of critical com ponents required for SPS to be po lice of jurisdiction is approximately 50% complete. SPS has spent $16.8M of the projected $32.5M on IT.

• $32.4M has been spent of the total $63.7M one-time transition budget established by the City (IT expenditures are included in this budget).

• Employment terminations, whether through working notice,

Three South Asians located safe

immediate severance, or a com bination thereof, are forecasted at $81.5M for existing/current em ployees.

• Terminating the police transition (by January 2023) will result in a projected investment loss of up to $188.5M ($107.0M unrecoverable sunk cost + $81.5M employment terminations, whether through working notice, immediate sever ance, or a combination thereof).

• Projected annual cost difference between SPS and the RCMP is $18.3M.

- If reversing the transition now, it would take the City of Surrey over a decade of annual contract sav ings realized from the 10% federal subsidy to recover the loss of in vestment into building SPS to be come the police of jurisdiction

• As contract policing costs are predominately variable, based on the number of officers assigned to a municipality, efficiency ad vantages from economies of scale would be limited or unachievable from the municipality’s perspec tive, as costs may increase at a rel atively constant rate with growth.

- On the contrary, as SPS grows with the City’s population, our op erational efficiencies will achieve economies of scale for Surrey since we are funded for exact ex penditures only. Therefore, there may be a future state where con tract policing becomes the more expensive choice as Surrey is ex pected to become the largest mu nicipality in BC.

Surrey Police Service has a total of 315 police officers, which represents 43% of the targeted strength

SURREY RCMP announced on Thursday night announced that the 66-year-old South Asian female reported missing on November 17 has been located safe.

RICHMOND RCMP announced on Thursday that the 14-year-old South Asian male who was reported missing on November 15 has been located, and he is safe and sound.

SURREY RCMP announced on Monday that the 56-year-old South Asian woman who was reported missing on Novem ber 9 has been located safe.

Why Councillor Doug Elford opposed ’28-per-cent’ mayor’s move to keep the RCMP in Surrey

AS was expected, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and her Surrey Connect councillors on Monday night by a majority of 5-4 on City Council voted to maintain the RCMP as the police of jurisdiction in Surrey, in spite of the fact that Locke was elected by only 28 per cent of the vote on this issue.

“Council’s endorsement of this option will have staff prepare a plan that will be forwarded to the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General [Mike Farnworth] upon Council approval,” read a statement from the City.

It also said: “On behalf of Council, staff will be issuing a letter to the Surrey Police Board to pause all new hiring and expenditures pending further Council direction.”

However, as The VOICE reported on Monday, the Surrey Police Service will not stop hiring because they take instructions from the Province and not Surrey City Council.

Safe Surrey Coalition Councillor Doug Elford, who along with fellow SSC Councillor Mandeep Nagra and Surrey First councillors Linda Annis and Mike Bose opposed the move, stated the following reasons at the Council meeting for his stand:

THE bottom line is if we go back in time to untransition to the RCMP we will once again become an unsafer City.

I lobbied for a safer more liveable City and going back in time will not accomplish this. The previous council of 2018 endorsed the report to end the RCMP contract and transition to a municipal force. The current mayor supported this motion.

I can speak from personal experience when I think back to when I was elected four years ago.

We were underpoliced, people were afraid to walk the streets at night. There was a sense of fear.

I knew we needed a change.

People argue the cost, I measure it more through a personal, emotional cost to myself and the community.

Do I want to go back in time where I have to pay for the replacement of the 19 bikes stolen in my time in Surrey? Do I want to endure the emotional stress of having a meth-crazed bunch of youths smash the windows out of my brand new car and threaten me with my

life, in my driveway? Only for them to come back and smash out the window of my rental car the next day?

Do I want to wake up in the middle of the night to chase a burglar out of my home?

Do I want to deal with the constant incidences of petty crime to a point where my insurance agent discourages me from reporting because it will only increase my house insurance rates?

As a community are we willing to put up with rolling gun battles where children out playing street hockey had to scramble for their lives after a daytime shooting? Only to watch them pick up shell casings half a block from my house?

Are we willing to go back in time and endure the sensational killings of Julie Pascal, the hockey mom killed on her way to pick up her son from refereeing hockey, or Devon AllaireBell, Serena Vermeersch …

Remember the volatile safety forums demanding a change?

Do I want to see my neighbors wailing in grief standing on the street because they cannot cross the yellow tape to see their son who was gunned down in his own driveway?

Do we want to endure the rash of shootings that never seem to end?

You know what my answer is, No, I do not want to go back to a police force that is undermanned. And continues to be undermanned to this day.

They are at deficit in BC and have been in Surrey for years, we have extremely troubling low numbers of police on the street and it is very concerning because going back in time will

not provide a solution.

I will never criticize the RCMP member on the street — they are dedicated men and women who put their lives on the line. But many are not committed to a career in Surrey. We lose out on a personal connection with our police and the community policing model that come with the SPS. The model needs a change.

I have always lobbied for more boots on the ground and going back in time will not resolve this.

The SPS is the logical way to go. Let’s keep moving forward to developing a progressive, forward-thinking police force!

Surrey residents, not Council, need to decide who polices their city: Councillor Linda Annis

SURREY First Councillor Linda Annis on Monday called for a referendum that would give Surrey residents the opportunity to decide who will police their city.

Annis has also written to Solicitor General and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, encouraging him to call on the City of Surrey to hold a referendum on the police transition issue.

She said: “This issue has become too divisive, too costly, and too much like a political football. It’s time to put an end to all of this by giving Surrey voters their say, allowing them to make the final decision about who polices our community. Doug McCallum never gave

Surrey residents their say and, unfortunately, Mayor Brenda Locke seems to be headed down the same path, trying to stop the transition without including the people of Surrey.”

Annis pointed out: “The fact is 72 per cent of the people who voted in the municipal election did not vote for Brenda Locke, so any suggestion that there is some sort of overwhelming mandate is ridiculous. Only a referendum that gives the people of Surrey their say will give the final decision on policing any legitimacy.”

Annis, who campaigned on a referendum, said voters need all the facts and the chance to make that final decision.

Annis said: “This decision is so big, so costly, and so divisive that it will take a vote of our citizens to bring it to a legitimate conclusion. The nine of us elected to council on October 15 should not be making this final decision. We need to give Surrey voters their say, something that has been missing for four years under Doug McCallum.”

She added: “Mayor Locke should do the right thing and let the people of our city have their say, otherwise what’s the difference between her way and Doug McCallum’s way of doing things? If we are an open and transparent city council, we should start by giving our voters their say on who polices our city.”

The provincial government endorsed our plan after extensive scrutiny.

Doug Elford

This is how a supporter of Brenda Locke and the RCMP behaved at Monday’s Surrey City Council meeting when a councillor spoke out against reversing the policing transition.

Photo: Twitter

Linda Annis

United Truckers Association supports Surrey policing transition

THE United Truckers Association (UTA) held a vote on supporting the Surrey policing transition over the weekend, with the over 478 members in attendance voting unanimously in favour.

After months of internal contemplation by the UTA executive, and in light of Monday night’s successful Surrey City Council vote to proceed on a de-transition plan to reverse the policing transition and send a report to Solicitor General and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, the UTA said it decided now was the time to make a public declaration.

“It also marks the first major South Asian community organization which has offered a public endorsement of continuing the transition to a municipal police force since the recent election,” the UTA noted.

“While the UTA’s membership has always been in favour of a more local, communitybased model of policing in Surrey, it was critical to set a precedent within the South Asian community,” said UTA spokesperson Gagan Singh. “Too many of our young people have fallen victim to the criminal lifestyle, and Surrey is in desperate need of change to preserve our future as a community and as a city.”

However, the UTA said it remained appreciative and supportive of the hundreds of Surrey RCMP officers currently working locally and is concerned for these frontline officers as the transition continues.

“The UTA requests the Provincial Government continue with the approved police transition and provide certainty to the residents of Surrey in a timely manner. A municipal police service will be accountable to the residents of Surrey in ensuring adequate staffing levels and aligns with the recommendations of the report by the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act,” the UTA said.

“That is why the UTA is imploring the Surrey Police Board and the Surrey Police Union to consider priority hiring status for these RCMP officers, the majority of which have been attached and integrated into the local community for many years.”

“Away from the divisive politics that we have seen in recent times, UTA members understand the human cost to both sides with the prospect of job loss hanging over

Surrey man charged following death threats to prominent CNN anchor and staff

SURREY RCMP announced on Wednesday that charges have been approved in an investigation that involved death threats to an American journalist online.

CBC’s Jason Proctor had reported last month that the threats were against a prominent CNN anchor and staff at the station’s New York headquarters.

CBC said that the New York Police Department contacted RCMP at the end of June after they received a complaint from John Teehan, director of executive protection and special events for Warner Brothers Discovery, the company which owns CNN.

Surrey RCMP said that in June, its General Investigation Unit took conduct of the file, and identified a suspect. On July 10, a 38-year-old man was arrested and a search warrant was executed at his residence. He was released from custody on conditions.

On November 10, 38-year-old Nicholas Sullivan was charged with five counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm through social media. He is scheduled to appear in court later this month.

Surrey RCMP said it worked with U.S. authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to bring this matter before the courts.

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families,” added Singh. “The UTA calls on those in charge of the Surrey Police Service hiring process to consider this wealth

of experience from the RCMP detachment as they continue to hire additional capacity over the coming months and years. The UTA said it was proud to be a commu-

nity-based South Asian organization whose Surrey-based members put public safety ahead of politics and all other considerations.

UTA spokesperson Gagan Singh.

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

DAVID Eby was sworn in as B.C.’s 37th premier while surrounded by family, friends, colleagues and community members from throughout British Columbia.

In a ceremony held in the Musqueam Community Centre, Eby made a commitment to tackle the challenges people are facing, while making meaningful improvements in the lives of British Columbians.

“British Columbia is a wonderful place to

call home,” said Eby. “At the same time, people are feeling uncertain about the future and worried about their families. I’m proud of the work done by John Horgan and our government to put people first. And there’s so much more to do. I’m ready to get to work with my team to deliver results that people will be able to see and feel in their lives and in their communities.”

The ceremony was hosted by the Mus-

queam Indian Band, the first-ever swearing in hosted by a First Nation in British Columbia. Eby and invited guests were greeted by traditional drumming and a welcome from Chief Wayne Sparrow, who hailed the event as an important symbol of a shared vision of reconciliation and strengthening government-to-government relationships.

Before Eby was sworn in, Premier John Horgan said: “When we formed government, I assigned David Eby to tackle some of our toughest problems. He put out the dumpster fire at ICBC and ended an era of money laundering a previous government ignored. He is a roll-up-your-sleeves guy who will work hard to improve the lives of British Columbians.”

The premier promised swift action on the most pressing issues facing British Columbians: fixing the housing crisis, making communities safer, strengthening health care and acting on climate change. All work will be done in close partnership with Indigenous Peoples, as well as federal and municipal governments.

Eby’s first action as premier is two new costof-living credits for B.C. residents and businesses to help people with bills, groceries or transportation costs: * a one-time $100 cost-of-living credit for BC

Hydro customers – equivalent to one month of electricity charges for most single-family homeowners; and

* a new BC Affordability Credit to help lowand middle-income earners with rising costs.

The new BC Affordability Credit will provide as much as an additional $164 per adult, and $41 per child, or as much as $410 for a family with two children earning $43,051, with a sliding scale of credits for families earning as much as $150,051.

Quick Facts:

* David Eby is British Columbia’s 37th premier.

* He was first elected as the MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey in 2013, serving as the Opposition critic for housing and gaming policy.

* After the BC NDP formed government in 2017, Eby was appointed attorney general and minister responsible for ICBC, gaming and liquor. In 2020, Eby was appointed as the minister responsible for housing.

* Eby lives in Vancouver with his wife, Dr. Cailey Lynch, a practising family doctor, and their children, Ezra and Iva.

For more on this story, please visit our website voiceonline.com

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Workers from 16 new occupations now eligible for permanent residence

SEAN Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refu gees and Citizenship, on Wednesday an nounced the implementation of the Nation al Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 for immigration programs managed under the Express Entry system. Using the new NOC categories will allow Canada to bring in global talent in high-demand sectors like health care, construction, and transporta tion.

Nurse aides, long-term care aides, hospi tal attendants, elementary and secondary school teacher assistants, and transport truck drivers are examples of some of the 16 occupations now included in Express Entry.

The NOC system is used to track and cat egorize all jobs in the Canadian labour mar ket and is updated to reflect changes in the economy and in the nature of work. The changes to the NOC system support the Min ister’s commitment to expand pathways to permanent residency for temporary work ers and international students, as more jobs will become eligible for the programs man aged under Express Entry.

Through this update, 16 occupations that were not previously eligible can now ben efit from expanded pathways to permanent residency.

Fraser said: “We are using all of the tools at

our disposal to tackle labour shortages, par ticularly in key sectors like health care, con struction, and transportation. These chang es will support Canadians in need of these services, and they will support employers by providing them with a more robust work force who we can depend on to drive our economy forward into a prosperous future. I’m thrilled to announce expanded path ways to permanent residence in Canada for these in-demand workers.”

Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability In clusion, added: “NOC 2021 is welcome news for Canadian employers, for newcom ers to Canada ready to take on the jobs they are qualified for, and for a newly eligible group of workers who will now have an Express Entry path to permanent residency available to them. With these changes, we are better positioned to tackle labour short ages proactively and grow our economy with a stronger, skilled workforce.”

Miranda Ferrier, CEO Canadian Support Workers Association, said: “The Canadian Support Workers Association (CANSWA) applauds this move to help ease the short age of personal support workers in our health care system. Personal support work ers provide the majority of the bedside nurs ing care to vulnerable Canadians across our

nation and are in desperate need of assis tance to ensure that basic patient care can be delivered. The CANSWA and our mem bers welcome the help from these new Canadians and hope they find a rewarding new life in their new home.”

Stephen Laskowski, President of Cana dian Trucking Alliance, noted: “Every sec tor of the Canadian economy relies on the trucking industry. Today’s announcement by Minister Fraser will help secure supply chains—from agriculture to manufactur ing—by providing trucking companies ac cess to an international workforce that was not previously available to our sector.”

Quick Facts:

* The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is the national reference for occu pations in Canada. It provides a system atic classification structure that categorizes the entire range of occupational activity in Canada for collecting, analyzing, and dis seminating occupational data for labour market information and employment-relat ed program administration. Occupational information supports labour market and career intelligence, skills development, oc

cupational forecasting, labour supply and demand analysis, employment equity, and numerous other programs and services.

* Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada uses NOC to determine and assess the occupational eligibility criteria under its temporary and permanent residency pro grams.

* Employment and Social Development Canada and Statistics Canada work to gether to update the NOC on an ongoing basis, with major reviews occurring every 10 years, to ensure it reflects the changing labour market. The review involves in-depth research, analysis, and assessment of the feedback received through consultations and occupational research. Input from the public and stakeholders is an integral part of the review process.

* Foreign nationals with work experience in the following 16 occupations are now eli gible to apply through Express Entry: – payroll administrators

– dental assistants and dental laboratory as sistants

– nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates

– pharmacy technical assistants and phar macy assistants

– elementary and secondary school teacher assistants

– sheriffs and bailiffs

– correctional service officers

– by-law enforcement and other regulatory officers

– estheticians, electrologists and related oc cupations

– residential and commercial installers and servicers

– pest controllers and fumigators

– other repairers and servicers

– transport truck drivers

– bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators

– heavy equipment operators

– aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors

FOR MORE STORIES AND BREAKING NEWS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE VOICEONLINE.COM

Sean Fraser

Photo: Twitter

Mayor Locke changed her mind about RCMP 4 years ago, now her Surrey Connect councillor is

SURREY Connect Councillor Pardeep Koon er told the Vancouver Sun on Thursday that she has yet to make a final decision about keeping the RCMP in Surrey.

Last Monday, Kooner voted with the three other Surrey Connect councillors and Mayor Brenda Locke in Surrey City Council to keep the RCMP.

Kooner is the one who produced the con troversial $520 million estimate of what the transition to a municipal police force would cost the City.

But now she appears to be backpedaling –and it shouldn’t come as a surprise because Locke herself first voted to hoof out the

RCMP as a Safe Surrey Coalition councillor four years ago and then became the Mount ies’ chief agent, mercilessly savaging thenmayor Doug McCallum on the issue. Kooner told the Sun that she will wait for the city report on the costs before finally mak ing up her mind and that her decision will be “what’s best for the residents of the city.” When the Sun reporter asked Kooner for the information she used for her estimate, she said she was not prepared to do that! Why not? What is there to hide? Come clean, Kooner!

(VOICE opinion)

Former mayor Doug McCallum’s Surrey Langley SkyTrain project keeps progressing

Third request for qualifications issued for Surrey Langley SkyTrain

THE Province announced on Monday that it is inviting companies to submit their qualifications for the third and final contract of the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project.

including active transportation elements around the new stations. Major construction on the Surrey Langley

SkyTrain project is expected to begin in 2024, and the extension is anticipated to be operational in late 2028.

The Surrey Langley SkyTrain project — that former mayor Doug McCallum championed in spite of fierce opposi tion by some municipal politicians — is a 16-kilometre extension of the Expo Line from King George Station to Langley City Centre and is the first rapid transit expan sion south of the Fraser River in 30 years. Once complete, the project will provide high-quality and low-cost transportation for people in Surrey, Langley and across Metro Vancouver.

As part of the competitive selection pro cess, a request for qualifications (RFQ) has been issued for the systems and trackwork contract, which includes the design and installation of the SkyTrain trackwork, as well as the design, installa tion and integration of electrical systems, such as power, telecommunications and automatic train control.

The RFQ will close January 23, 2023. Following evaluation, as many as three teams will be selected to participate in the next stage of the competitive selec tion process, which is the request for pro posals (RFP).

The Surrey Langley SkyTrain project is being delivered through three separate contracts. The multi-contract approach will increase competition and enable a broader range of companies to bid on dif ferent elements of the project.

The first RFQ was issued on August 2, 2022, to build the elevated guideway, roadworks and utilities, as well as active transportation elements, such as cycling and walking paths along the extension.

The second RFQ was issued in October 2022 to identify a contractor for the con struction of eight new SkyTrain stations,

having second thoughts, too!

Indian Consul General in Vancouver, Manish (right), met with Alberta’s Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Rajan Sawhney, on November 11 and discussed improving economic linkages between India and Alberta.

Photo submitted

Pardeep Kooner

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum

Photo by JAY SHARMA of Mahi Photo Studio

Rishi Bansal of McMaster University awarded 2023 Rhodes Scholarship

distinguished scholarship to study at the University of Oxford next year.

Since the Scholarship was established in 1903, nearly 8,000 Rhodes Scholars, includ ing over 1,000 Canadians, have gone on to serve at the forefront of government, the professions, commerce, the arts, education, research and other domains.

Six Canadian Rhodes scholarships were awarded in Canada this weekend. Five more will be awarded next weekend. To gether, the 11 will join a class of 100 from over 60 countries worldwide to receive this

Bansal, who received a B.ArtsSc. from the Arts and Science program at McMaster University, is passionate about bringing re search and health systems advocacy to gether to improve patient outcomes. His published work covers a diverse range of topics, from evaluating financial conflict of interest policy among clinical guidelines to examining the impact of clinician-focused interventions on hospital outcomes.

Bansal received the Albert Lager Prize from McMaster University to recognize his community initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included advocacy for a provincial sick leave program and creating a storytelling project with healthy debate to feature stories of healthcare workers throughout the pandemic. He aspires to a career focused on improving care integra tion and hopes to pursue studies in social policy and translational health science to support these endeavours.

Richard Pan, the Canadian Secretary of the Rhodes Trust and the Chair for the Rhodes Scholarships in Canada (RSC), said: “The scholarships call for and recognize a set of timeless virtues – intellectual excellence, strength of character, energy to strive, com mitment to serve and instinct to lead. We are proud of the opportunities that the scholarships provide to our most talented, passionate and charismatic university grad uates.”

The scholars were selected in a highly com petitive process administered by regional committees composed of Rhodes scholars and eminent members of the community. The committees worked independently and made their decisions on the basis of appli cations, university endorsements, letters of reference and in-person interviews held across the country.

Pan added: “The scholarship winners di rectly reflect the diversity of our communi ties and the best of Canada. The selection committees were moved by the impres sive intellect, exceptional experience and care with which each scholar elect is ap plying their remarkable talents to making the world a better place. We look forward to going on this exciting journey with them. Their actions and accomplishments will be making us proud for many years to come.”

Woman fatally shot by RCMP in North Vancouver

THE BC RCMP announced on Sunday that they have notified the Independent Investi gations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of an incident in North Vancouver where their officer fatally shot a woman.

On November 12, at approximately 7:30 p.m., North Vancouver RCMP received a report of a woman who allegedly tried to attack another person with a weapon. The RCMP also received another call from a dif ferent complainant, stating that a woman was trying to break into their home.

The information received from both com plainants led police to believe those acts were being committed by the same female suspect.

Officers were able to locate the woman and initial attempts to take the woman in cus tody were not successful. A confrontation ensued which led to an officer to discharge their service-issued firearm.

Emergency Health Services attended and transported to woman to hospital where she was later pronounced deceased.

The IIO BC has been notified and is investi gating the actions of police.

For more information about the IIO BC, visit its website at www.iiobc.ca.

Rishi Bansal

TEJ Kaur Dhaliwal (née Olak) passed away peacefully at Richmond Hospital on Tuesday, November 8, aged 89, surrounded by her loved ones.

She is survived by her husband of 77 years, Harchand Singh Dhaliwal, and her children: son Harbance ‘Herb’ and daughters Beverly (Narinder), Ginger, Sargy Chima (Makhan), Darshy and Susan Sahota (Gurpal); 11 grand children – Vinay (Jessie), Andrea (Gurpreet), Justin (Pam), Paul (Ranu), Iain (Sue), Jessica (Aman), Felicia, Adam (Jaclynn), Shantel, Aaron and Sean; and 10 great-grandchildren – Jalen, Aria, Amrit, Kaiden, Avani, Aidyn, Amyra, Bhani, Arjyn, and Riley.

The daughter of the late Karam Singh and the late Rullee Kaur, Tej Kaur Dhaliwal was born in Chiheru, Kapurthala District, Punjab State in 1932. Together with her then 6-year-old son, Herb, in early December 1958, Tej Kaur made the journey to Vancouver to join her husband (a native of Dhingrian in the Nawan shahr District of Punjab).

Their immigration followed the lead of her

late father-in-law,

and Harchand Singh were among the second wave of Indian immigrants to Western Can ada in the post-World War II era. In Canada, she gave birth to five daughters and one son, the late Harminder Dhaliwal (1960-1962). Tej Kaur dedicated her life to provide for her family after her husband lost his eyesight. She became a pillar of the Sikh community at Vancouver’s Second Avenue Gurdwara, the Ross Street Temple (Vancouver), as well as the No.5 Road Gurdwara Nanak Niwas (Rich mond). When Canada’s immigration policy favoured family unification in the 1960s and 1970s, Tej Kaur and Harchand Singh migrated their siblings, their spouses and children to join them here from India. Throughout her life, she played an instrumental role in spon soring hundreds of families’ immigration to Canada.

In the 1990s, she took special pride in witness ing the election of her son to the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, and his rise to prominence in national public affairs. The Honorable Har bance ‘Herb’ Singh Dhaliwal PC, MP served for ten years in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Jean Chretien as the first federal minister of Indian origin in Canadian history. The Family wishes to acknowledge and thank the many doctors, nurses and staff at Rich

mond Hospital for their kindness and atten tiveness to Mrs. Dhaliwal.

The funeral for Tej Kaur Dhaliwal took place on Thursday, November 17 at Riverside Fu neral Home and Crematorium, in Delta and was followed by final prayers at the Gurdwara Nanak Niwas in Richmond.

Dharm Singh Dhaliwal, one of the original Sikh pioneers who first arrived on the West Coast in 1908. Tej Kaur

Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha presented the staff of the Indian Consulate General the

it produced to observe its 40th anniversary. The staff had held a camp

life certificates to pensioners from India.

Photo submitted

Tej Kaur Dhaliwal

Coquitlam RCMP warn of the risk of imitation firearms after incident involving youth

COQUITLAM RCMP are reminding the public of the risks of carrying, possessing and using imitation firearms such as BB guns, pellet guns, and airsoft.

On November 9 shortly after 12:30 p.m., Coquitlam RCMP frontline officers attended the area of Lakeshore Drive and Foster Avenue in Coquitlam for a report of a group of youth displaying firearms in public.

Four young males wearing bala clavas and associated to a grey 2006 Acura were observed with what appeared to be a pistol and an assault-style rifle.

Police quickly located the group in a nearby alleyway.

Once the firearms were safety

inspected by police, it was deter mined that they were BB guns.

The imitation firearms were then surrendered to the police.

Police were advised that the group were using the imitation firearms while filming a music video.

Media Relations Officer Cpl. Alexa Hodgins said: “There will be an im mediate and heightened response when police respond to reports involving weapons to ensure the safety of the public and respond ing officers. Imitation firearms can

pose a significant risk to the public, police and the person who is car rying it as the differences between real and fake are in the details. All firearms will be treated as real, un til proven otherwise.”

Police point out that air guns are considered firearms for the pur poses of both the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code. These types of firearms, especially high-powered air guns, are subject to the same licence and registration require ments as conventional firearms.

Less powerful air guns are not considered to be firearms under the Firearms Act, however, they can be considered firearms under the Criminal Code if they are used in a criminal or negligent manner.

Imitation firearms should only be used in designated areas, gun ranges and/or on private land. They should be kept out of sight, locked in a secure case and away from children and youth to prevent misunderstandings, accidents or thefts.

Early morning shooting in Port Moody’s Klahanie neighbourhood

ON Friday, November 11 at about 4 a.m., Port Moody Police received reports of multiple shots fired in the 600-block of Klahanie Drive. Front line officers responded to the area immediately.

A thorough canvass was conducted and neither victims nor damage was discovered. Howev er, numerous shell casings were later located and forensics officers are now processing the

scene. There are also reports of a vehicle heard speeding away from the area. “Police are in the evidence-gathering phase of this investigation and would like to speak with

anyone who may have witnessed the incident as well as anyone with CCTV or dash camera footage in the area,” said Constable Sam Zacha rias.

The Consulate General of India in Vancouver organized consular camps in Vancouver, Surrey and Calgary on November 6 to issued 1,231 life certificates for pensioners from India. Consul General Manish also visited some camps to interact with the public. Photos submitted

Imitation handgun. Photos: RCMP

Imitation assault-style rifle.

People urged to get vaccinated, stay safe during respiratory illness season

PUBLIC health officials are asking all British Columbians to get their influenza and COV ID-19 immunizations as soon as possible, as rates of respiratory illnesses are on the rise throughout the province.

Vaccinations remain the best defence against COVID-19 and influenza. Everyone older than six months can get both immuni zations for free. People can book their shots through the provincial Get Vaccinated sys tem.

While COVID-19 continues to circulate in communities, the situation has changed. In B.C., more than 90% of the population has built some immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 vi rus through vaccination, infection or both, and the number of people at risk for serious outcomes from COVID-19 has dropped sig nificantly.

There are many tools to get people through respiratory illness season. The most impor tant is to maximize protection through vacci nation. People are also encouraged to check daily for symptoms of respiratory illness, wash their hands regularly and practise re spiratory etiquette. This includes wearing a mask if they have mild symptoms, covering coughs and disposing of tissues appropri ately.

If people have symptoms of respiratory ill ness, they should stay home and limit close contact with others, especially those at higher risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19 or influenza, until they no longer have a fever (without needing fever-reduc ing medications) and are well enough to participate in usual daily activities.

The Province says it has been expecting and preparing for an increase in respiratory ill nesses, such as COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (known as RSV), as people gather more indoors and many viruses that cause respiratory illnesses circu late more in the fall and winter.

Hospitals throughout the province have well-established systems in place to man age high patient volumes, including regional and provincial surge plans. They have been planning for various scenarios and are ready to respond to an influx of patients requiring care for respiratory illnesses.

While hospitals are seeing higher-than-nor mal volumes of patients with respiratory ill nesses, including children, they are not yet experiencing volumes that necessitate ac tivating provincial surge plans that include postponing non-urgent scheduled surgeries and moving patients to other care settings to free up hospital beds.

The Province says it will continue to carefully monitor respiratory illnesses in B.C., through out the country and around the globe, and adapt the responses and measures in place as needed to protect public health.

To register with the Get Vaccinated system, visit: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vac cine/register

Dr. Kala Singh, a distinguished Sikh scholar, spoke on Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s preaching to members of Vedic Senior’s Parivar Centre in Surrey on November 11.

Photo by Girja Shankar Sharma

That

Foundry

Giving young people the support they deserve

ing, and appropriate services by simply walking into their local Foundry centre, accessing virtual services through the Foundry BC App, or exploring the tools and resources online at foundrybc.ca.

Since beginning to offer Foundry services in a temporary location in September 2020, Foundry Richmond has supported over 1,800 young people with more than 5,400 visits to the centre.

And now, young people in Richmond will have permanent access to a wide range of services including mental health and substance use

supports, medical services, including physical and sexual health, youth and family peer support, employment support, and more.

Foundry is a critical part of A Pathway to Hope, B.C.’s roadmap to create a seamless and comprehensive continuum of mental health and substance use care that works for everyone. The opening of Foundry Richmond makes 23 Foundry centres province-wide, including in places like Fort St. John, Tri-Cities, Kamloops and Sunshine Coast.

We know that wellness promotion, prevention and early intervention for young people can stop small problems from becoming big ones as they grow. The Foundry team is committed to working together with each young person and their family to form a plan to fit

their unique needs.

This newest Foundry Centre builds on the actions our New Democrat government has been taking. Other work we’ve done includes adding 33 new and expanded substance use programs designed specifically for young people, as well as making an historic $500 million investment in an integrated mental health and substance use care plan for children, youth, and young adults, including expanding early years mental health supports and expanding early psychosis intervention services.

For too long, mental health and substance use supports have been slashed and ignored. No matter where a young person lives, they deserve access to this life-saving care. Our government is working to make this a reality.

EVENTS

South Asian Adults and Seniors Programs

* Yoga classes in person at Shanti Niketan Hall conducted by yoga instructor Ashwini Bansal on every Monday and every Thursday from 10 to 11:15 a.m. on both days. Yoga expert Mahendra Kumar Juneja will also help participants. This is only for participants who have been double vaccinated for COVID-19. They should bring facemasks and a yoga mat and maintain social distancing. Pure vegetarian lunch is served in the dining hall of the Temple to all seniors every Thursday after the yoga class. Contact Sunil Narendra Dev Kaushal, Act-

ing Coordinator, at 778- 866-5139 / email sunil_kaushal11@yahoo.com for registration and further information.

* Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC invites South Asian adults and senior members to play Bingo on the House on Sunday, November 20 and Sunday, November 27, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., at Shanti Niketan Hall. Bring only two dollars for two games. Members will explain the game to you. Please use a facemask and maintain social distancing while seated for everyone’s safety. Tea and light snacks will be served.

Suba Rao Subramani (Sami)

Aman Singh (back row, 3rd from left), Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie (5th from right) and others at the opening of Foundry Richmond.

Give joy with Keian’s Holiday Wish Toy Drive

for the annual Keian’s Holiday Wish Toy Drive, which helps brighten the holiday season for sick children and their families.

Donations from the toy drive will go to B.C. Children’s Hospital and Surrey Memo rial Hospital. The yearly campaign of giv ing is held in memory of six-year-old Keian Blundell, an honorary member of the RCMP, who lost his battle with leukemia in 2014. “Keian always found the silver lining in every cloud. He faced his challenges with brav ery and encompassed wisdom beyond his years,” says Keian’s mom, Chantal Blundell. “He wanted all children with a life-threat ening illness to feel love and joy during the holiday season. This is Keian’s Wish.”

The 2022 Toy Drive is being organized by members of the Surrey RCMP Community Response Unit and Youth Unit.

New, unwrapped toys (suitable for all ages up to and including 18), cash donations, and gift cards will be gratefully accepted un til December 15. People can drop off dona tions at the Surrey RCMP’s Main Detachment or at one of three district offices in Whalley/ City Centre, Guildford, and Newton. The Blundell family has also set up an Amazon Wish List for those who wish to give online. Three community donation events will be held in support of the Toy Drive this year at the Guildford, Newton, and South Surrey Superstore locations on Friday, December 2 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Since 2017, close to 9,000 toys and $32,000 in cash donations have been collected by the Surrey RCMP for the toy drive,” says Inspector Harm Dosange, Community Sup port and Safety Officer. “We are proud to participate in making Keian’s dream a real ity, with the support of the community, our members, staff and volunteers.”

Surrey Tree Lighting Festival and Holiday Market releases schedule for 12th annual event

Photo: RCMP THE City of Surrey has released the sched ule for the 12th annual Surrey Tree Light ing Festival and Holiday Market. Presented by Concord Pacific, the free event will be held on Saturday, November 19 at Surrey Civic Plaza from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, visit Keian’s Holiday Wish Toy Drive 2022 on Facebook.

The Tree Lighting Ceremony with Mayor and Council will begin at 6 p.m. on the Snowflake Stage, and will be followed by a performance by VOC Sweet Soul Gospel Choir at 7 p.m.

“We are thrilled to share the magic of the season at Surrey Tree Lighting Festival on November 19,” said Mary Rukavina, Man ager of Special Events and Filming. “We invite attendees to enjoy free live perfor mances and the return of the live Tree Lighting Ceremony. Thank you to our pre senting sponsor Concord Pacific and their gracious support to the Surrey Food Bank.” Performances will begin at 12 p.m. on the Snowflake Stage, Candy Cane Dance Tent, North Pole Stage and on the Grand Stair case in the City Centre Library. The Snow flake Stage will feature an Indigenous Wel come from Kwantlen First Nation at 12:50 p.m., a Motown Tribute with Krystle Dos Santos and Mike Henry at 4:00 p.m., and a

Pat Chessell and Friends Celtic Christmas performance at 5 p.m.

The Candy Cane Dance Tent will showcase DJs, dance battles and dance lessons until 8 p.m. On the North Pole Stage, North Sur rey Breakers and Salish Secondary Dance will perform at 12 p.m. and The Royal City Youth Ballet perform their rendition of The Nutcracker at 4:30 p.m.

“Concord Pacific is proud to partner with the Surrey Food Bank this holiday season and for every pledge made to the Giving Trees at our booth area, we will donate $1 to the Surrey Food Bank. Please help us give to those who need it the most this hol iday season”, said Peter Webb, Senior Vice President, Development, Concord Pacific.

Surrey Tree Lighting Festival will also fea ture free photos with Santa, giveaways, and an expanded holiday market show casing local vendors and artisans. En chanted Boulevard–located on University Drive–will host over 10 food trucks, a free Ferris wheel, amusement rides, exhibitor booths, and road hockey.

For more information visit www.surrey treelighting.ca/schedule.

Keian Blundell

Salish Secondary Dance Program students in front of Christmas Tree at Surrey Civic Plaza. Photo: City of Surrey

New Delhi: All eyes are on India as it assumes the one-year presidency of the G20 group amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and rising global challenges. The government started preparations for this a year ago.

Behind the high-pitched passing on of the baton of the G20 presidency, a batch of more than 120 newly recruited Indian Economic Service officers has been meticulously working on various researches and reports for better understanding of each issue.

The new batch of trained young officers, instead of being placed in different departments and ministries, were given the collective assignment for two years for preparation of the G20 meetings and presidency.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's instruction to his team was clear -- India must be able to leave an indelible mark during its one-year tenure as the chair as it positions

itself as a global economic powerhouse as well as a credible voice for international affairs.

"This showcases the very nature of PM Modi. He goes into the depth of each situation and issue. The preparations that have gone in for G20 presidency are unparalleled and the way India stood out in the recently concluded summit shows

that how detailed and careful the planning was," Gopal Krishna Agarwal, national spokesperson for the BJP, told India Narrative.

Modi at the recently concluded G20 summit in Bali said India is committed to doing everything possible to build a healthier planet.

Besides meeting the heads of the states, Modi also met the top

bosses of the multilateral agencies including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organisation.

"While the meetings seem more customary in nature, they actually also reflect India's growing influence in the global order," an observer said.

"The meetings are also important as India will assume the presidency of G20 in less than a month and economic agenda will dominate the discourses," he added.

"Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" or "One Earth-One Family-One Future" is the theme for India's G20 Presidency. The theme resonates with Modi's foreign policy.

India is expected to hold more than 200 events and meetings in the next one year.

The events will be spread across the country. Several events are expected to be held in Jammu and Kashmir as well.

New Delhi (IANS): G20 leaders in Bali on Wednesday literally endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that "Today's era must not be of war."

Adopted as Bali Declaration at the end of the G20 summit in the Indonesian city, it can be considered as a diplomatic success for India, as this was the message which Modi had conveyed to Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Uzbekistan in September this year.

The declaration further accepted that security issues can significantly impact the global economy and accepted that the

G20 is not a forum for resolving security-related issues.

"There was a discussion on the issue. We reiterated our national positions as expressed in other fora, including the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, which, in Resolution No. ES-11/1 dated 2 March 2022, as adopted by majority vote (141 votes for, 5 against, 35 abstentions, 12 absent) deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and demands its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine," it said.

It went on to add that a majority

of members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, stressing that it is "causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy - constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks".

On views held by Russia and China, the Bali declaration said that there have been different assessments and views of the situations and sanctions.

It noted that G20 isn't the forum to resolve security issues and acknowledged that security issues can have significant consequences

for the global economy.

To safeguard peace and stability, the declaration further noted that it is important to uphold international law and the multilateral system, including "defending all the Purposes and Principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and adhering to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and infrastructure in armed conflicts. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. The peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital. Today's era must not be of war".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during the G20 Summit in Bali on November 16.

Enforcement Directorate Chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra gets fifth extension

New Delhi (IANS): The tenure of Enforce ment Directorate Chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra, an Indian Revenue Service officer of 1984 batch, has been extended for another year.

He is presently handling the controversial National Herald case in which the Gandhi family are involved.

Mishra’s four-year-long tenure in the ED was to be completed in November 18 this year but he has been given another stint as head of the Central anti-money-laundering probe agency.

Last year, the Central government had brought an ordinance to amend the Central Vigilance Commission Act, through which Mishra’s tenure was extended till November 18, 2022.

Earlier, the EDs Director’s tenure was of two years, but now it can be extended upto five years. This is the fifth time when his tenure has been extended.

Earlier posted with Income Tax Department, Mishra was appointed the Principal Special Director of the ED on November 19, 2018. A few days later, he was made the Director.

During his tenure in the ED, Mishra has looked after a number of high-profile cases such as those involving Yes Bank’s Rana Ka poor, former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Koch har’s husband Deepak Kochhar, and Vijay Mallya.

Under Mishra’s tenure, Christian Michel James, one of the prime accused in Agus taWestland chopper scam was brought to India, which was a major break through in the case.

Sanjay Kumar Mishra

Centre seeks review of Supreme Court order releasing Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts

New Delhi (IANS): The Central Government has sought a review of the Supreme Court order releasing all six convicts in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gan dhi.

In the review petition, the Centre said it was not made a party to the hearing and its stance was not heard and consequently, several

glaring errors on record were not brought to the notice of the court.

The apex court on November 11 passed an order allowing prema ture release of six convicts: S. Na lini, R.P. Ravichandran, Sriharan, Santhan, Murugan, and Robert Payas.

A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and B.V. Nagarathna had passed the or

der after noting that convicts’ con duct was satisfactory in the prison and they were imprisoned for a very long period.

All the six convicts in the case were sentenced to life and they had spent over two decades in prison. The Congress had strongly criticised the release of convicts. However, several Tamil parties, including the

state’s ruling DMK, which is an ally of the Congress, had long rallied for the release of the convicts.

On May 18, the Supreme Court had invoked its extraordinary pow ers to do complete justice under Article 142 of the Constitution, as it ordered the release of A.G. Per arivalan, sentenced to life in the assassination of the former Prime

Trump announces official bid for 2024 presidential election

Washington (IANS): 0Former US President Donald Trump has offi cially announced his third run for the White House, kicking off the 2024 presidential election cycle even as the country is still wrap ping up the 2022 midterms, which have left him a much diminished figure on account of the defeat of Republican candidates backed by him.

“To make America great again, I am today announcing my candi dacy for the President of the United States,” Trump announced at an event on Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago, his resort-cum-residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

The former President read from a teleprompter, which he had dispar aged earlier as a prop for less ac complished speakers, and stuck to the script, which was also unusual. And, he seemed to lack the energy

that he is known to display at cam paign rallies.

It was a very mellowed version of Trump that Trump put up.

Trump also never once repeated his lies about losing the 2020 elec tion to President Joe Biden be cause of fraud, which appear to have been rejected summarily by

voters in the November 8 midterm elections.

Candidates he backed rode those lies in the expectation of winning, but didn’t.

Trump’s case for seeking a second term was simply this: at the end of his administration in 2020, the US was in a great shape, and it’s been in decline under his successor.

“We were a strong nation and im portantly, we were a free nation,” he said, adding: “But now we are a nation in decline. We are a failing nation. For millions of Americans, the past two years under Joe Biden have been a time of pain, hardship, anxiety and despair.”

Trump slammed Biden on infla tion, Afghanistan, gas prices, im migration -- influx of migrants at the southern border with Mexico, his pet theme -- and for paying far too much attention to climate change

when nuclear weapons posed a graver and more urgent threat to humanity.

By attacking Biden, Trump was set ting it up as a direct fight between him and the president. He did not name any of the other Republicans who are said to be toying a run such as Ron DeSantis, the Gover nor or Florida, who has emerged as a frontrunner after his massive reelection victory.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is also said to be toying a run, as is former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Trump’s advisers had urged him to delay the announcement as the midterm isn’t over yet; there is a run for the Senate race in Geor gia in December and Republicans wanted the party and donors to fo cus on it. But the former president wasn’t persuaded and there he

Minister.

Nalini and Ravichandran had then moved the Madras High Court cit ing Perarivalan’s case for their own release, but the high court refused to entertain their plea. They then moved the apex court challeng ing the high court order. Later, the remaining four convicts also filed similar pleas before the top court.

was, becoming the first in.

President Biden, who is in Bali at tending the G20 summit, has said he has every intention of running for a second term and will make an announcement sometime early next year after consulting his family. But he is said to clearly relish run ning against the man he beat in 2016.

Biden tweeted what looked like an attack ad on Trump earlier Tues day. In a split screen video, Biden is shown signing into law a massive investment on infrastructure, while Trump is shown promising that same investment, which in the end never came.

“Talking” is the caption for Trump, and “Delivering” for Biden.

The president posted another at tack video around the time of Trump’s announcement, saying “Donald Trump failed America”.

Surjit Bhandal

United Nations (IANS): With the Security Council paralysed during the Ukraine crisis impacting nations around the world, India on Thursday lashed out against those ma nipulating the Council reform process “to prevent any concrete outcome”.

Some countries are ensuring that Intergov ernmental Negotiations (IGN) process for reforming the Council is “not being used to enable real negotiations, but to prevent any concrete outcome”, India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj told the General Assembly session on the reforms. “The longer the Security Council reform is stalled, the greater its deficit in representa tion,” she said, “and representation is - an inescapable precondition for its legitimacy and effectiveness”.

Speaking on behalf of the G4, the group that includes Brazil, Germany and Japan, she called for the adoption of a negotiating text essential for the discussions on reforms to proceed.

“We all have a collective responsibility to ensure that the IGN live up to its original mandate, in which real negotiations on the basis of a text will pave the way for the early reform of the Security Council called for more than 17 years ago,” she said.

Several countries backed the immediate adoption of a negotiating text that lays out the positions of various nations on reforms so that they could negotiate on their differ ences and come to an agreement.

A group of 13 countries that includes Italy and Pakistan have blocked the adoption of a negotiating text, unless there is a con sensus, although a consensus cannot be reached without meaningful discussions which require a basic document.

“The very purpose of its creation 14 years ago - to launch actual negotiations - is being voided by the lack of activity, by the absence of a negotiating text and by the unwilling ness of some to truly engage in substantive discussions,” the Indian representative said.

General Assembly President Csaba Korosi said of the blocking of the negotiating text, “One of the principles applied to the IGN during recent years was that ‘nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’”.

“Would you like to follow the same prin ciple or prefer another methodology?” he asked.

Kamboj said the IGN should come of the shadows by making the process transpar ent through webcasting it, keeping records of the proceedings, and following the Gen eral Assembly procedures.

“We simply cannot allow the IGN process to cocoon itself in perpetuity without letting collective aspirations of the member states to take a definite shape,” she said.

The paralysis of the Council, the UN’s high est decision-making body that is charged with taking action to end conflicts and ensure international peace, has brought a sense of urgency to the reform process.

Amid the myriad crises facing the world, “the Security Council - the main guarantor of international peace and security - has re mained blocked, unable to fully carry out its mandate”, Korosi said.

“Growing numbers are now demanding its reform,” he said.

He noted that at the Assembly’s High-Level Week in September, “one-third of world leaders underscored the urgent need to reform the Council - more than double the number in 2021”.

“A choice is at hand: does the Assembly continue its annual repetition of well-known positions - or, moved by these crises, does it swing into action to find common ground and achieve breakthroughs?” he asked. Korosi, recognising the impetus for reforms, has convened the Assembly session on re forms and appointed co-chairs of the IGN - Permanent Representatives Tareq M.A.M. Albanai of Kuwait and Michal Mlynar of Slo vakia - earlier in the term of the Assembly than in many earlier sessions.

Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative Fanday Turay underlined the need for textbased negotiations saying that an “elements paper” prepared at the least session outlin ing the positions of countries should be the groundwork for a negotiating text.

Representing the 55 countries of Africa, he said that to make up for the injustice of shutting out the continent in perma nent membership, it should be given two permanent seats to ensure the region has an “equal say in matters on international peace”, especially matters affecting Africa. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Perma

nent Representative Inga Rhonda King speaking on behalf of the L.69 group of 29 developing countries that includes India, talked of a “toxic web” blocking the reform process.

She said that it was imperative to adopt a negotiating text to move the IGN forward.

Olivier Maes, the Permanent Representa tive of Luxembourg, speaking also on be half of also the Netherlands and Belgium, backed the adoption of a negotiating text.

China’s Permanent Representative Zhang Jun opposed the adoption of negotiating text or setting a timetable for reforms warn ing that it will lead to “conflicts” and even “derail the process”.

He launched barbs aimed at India saying that some countries had their own agenda for reforms, seeking permanent member ship to enhance their international stand ing.

He also attacked, without naming it, a sug gestion made by India to seek an alterna tive venue for pursuing reforms if the IGN was unable to act.

Britain’s Permanent Representative Barba ra Woodward reiterated her country’s sup port for India gaining a permanent seat on a reformed Council.

She said text-based negotiations would help speed up the reform process.

THE BC Liberal Party has voted 80 per cent in favour of changing the party name to “BC United”. The online vote began on Sunday, November 13 and concluded Tuesday, November 15 at 10 p.m., the party announced on Wednesday.

“For more than 20 years, our party’s name has been a constant topic of debate. A strong vote for BC United marks a new beginning,” said Kevin Falcon, Party Leader. “I’m excited to move forward as BC United because it really reflects our big tent party, united for a common purpose of making life better for British Columbians.”

The BC Liberal Party engaged in a comprehensive province-wide consultation with its membership following a June convention resolution where a strong majority of delegates voted in favour of a new name.

BC Liberal Party will be “BC United”

Among more than 2,000 suggestions, BC United was the favourite of members from every region across the province.

“In keeping with the commitments we’ve made, all of our members had the opportunity to vote as to whether they wanted to change the party name to BC United, or to remain as the BC Liberals,” said John Yap, President of the BC Liberal Party. “After extensive consultation, and with 80% approval from our membership, I’m pleased to see support for the new name surpassed all expectations and is the clear choice of our members.”

“It’s important to note that changing the party name is just one part of an overall renewal process that is already well underway,” said Caroline Elliott, Vice President of the BC Liberal Party. “From new, dynamic

leadership to talented, passionate candidates and smart, outcomes-based policies, we’re working hard to demonstrate real, comprehensive renewal right across the board.”

Next steps include a constitutional ratification process for the new name as part of a delegated convention. This is expected to take place early in the new year, in accordance with the timing requirements set out in the BC Liberal Constitution. Following ratification, the implementation timing, logos and other branding for the name change will be announced by the Leader.

BC United has been registered with Elections BC, and the party will retain registration of the BC Liberal name, and all associated domains, to avoid any other party obtaining its use.

Help Surrey Christmas Bureau make holidays bright for families in need

THE City of Surrey announced on Thursday that it stepped up to help Surrey Christmas Bureau find a home for the holidays, and Mayor Brenda Locke is now urging residents to consider donating to the cause as toys are desperately needed to make the holidays brighter for thousands of local children.

“I have been a longtime supporter of the Surrey Christmas Bureau and when I heard the charity was struggling to find a home for the holidays yet again, I wanted to help,” said Locke. “I am pleased to see they will be welcomed back into their former space in the old Safeway near City Hall. The joy that the Surrey Christmas Bureau brings to thousands of children every year is im-

measurable. I encourage our residents to consider donating toys or financial gifts if they are able. Every little bit helps as every donation will put a smile on a child’s face this Christmas.”

The Surrey Christmas Bureau depends on the generosity of corporate partners to provide a donated space big enough to house its seasonal activities, which include creating a full size, pop-up “Toy Store” as well as office facilities for client services and the Bureau’s signature “Adopt a Family” program. After learning about the Christmas Bureau’s need for a space, Locke and officials at Fraser Health stepped up to help by securing a space at the former Safeway at 10355 King George Boulevard for the 2022

season.

The Bureau is B.C.’s largest non-denominational Christmas charity, serving approximately 2,000 Surrey low-income families (including over 4,500 children) each year.

Last year, the charity also distributed almost $190,000 of grocery vouchers through its hamper program.

“We are absolutely thrilled and so grateful to Mayor Locke and Fraser Health for their generosity in donating this space as our 2022 Toy Depot,” said Lisa Werring, Executive Director of Surrey Christmas Bureau. “The Surrey Christmas Bureau serves such a large number of families that it must begin toy distribution early to meet the need. We are starting Monday, November 21 and estimate we

only have approximately one week’s worth of toys in stock. If you are out shopping this weekend and are able, please think of picking up a new, unwrapped toy to help us keep our shelves full. Financial donations are also urgently needed to support our hamper program and can be made at christmasbureau.com. “

The Christmas Bureau Toy Depot is now open and ready to receive donations of toys and financial gifts at 10355 King George Boulevard (the old Safeway building), Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donations can also be dropped off to the Surrey Christmas Bureau at their table at the City of Surrey’s Tree Lighting Festival this Saturday.

Last call for public input on proposals from BC Electoral Boundaries Commission

THE deadline to provide input on proposed changes to B.C.’s provincial electoral districts is Tuesday, November 22, the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission announced on Tuesday.

On October 3, the Commission released its Preliminary Report. It recommends the creation of six new provincial ridings and substantial changes to the boundaries of many existing

electoral districts.

Since then, the Commission has been encouraging British Columbians to share their views on these recommendations.

“Public input from people across the province is vital to our process,” said Justice Nitya Iyer, Chair of the Commission. “We encourage anyone who has not already provided input to do

so before the deadline by filling out our website survey or by writing to us directly.”

Under the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, an electoral boundaries commission must be appointed after every second provincial election to review and propose changes to provincial electoral districts in British Columbia. If approved by the Legislative Assembly, the pro-

posed boundaries will be used for the next two provincial elections.

The Commission’s Final Report must be submitted to the Legislative Assembly by April 3, 2023.

To read the preliminary report or provide input on the Commission’s recommendations, visit the Commission’s website.

Kevin Falcon

Photo: BC Liberals

The Royal Canadian Legion hosts Canada’s 2022 National Remembrance Day Ceremony

OTTAWA: The Royal Canadian Legion host ed Canada’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony in full once again this year, with pandemic restrictions having previously al tered the format over the past two years.

Under a bright sky and with unusually warm temperatures in Ottawa, the solemn ceremo ny honoured the men and women who have given their lives in service to Canada. A full Veterans’ Parade and traditional marching contingents, dignitaries and special guests, and crowds of thousands gathered around the National War Memorial to pay respects. A fly-past by CF-18 Hornet aircraft, and a sec ond fly-past of a Hawker Hurricane and Su permarine Spitfire, highlighted the ceremo ny. This is the 80th anniversary of the Raid at Dieppe, in which 916 Canadians and almost 200 allied soldiers gave their lives. A Red En sign flag at the base of the Tomb of the Un known Soldier, also honoured those lost. A special wreath dedicated to Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to her service as a Veteran of the Second World War. God Save the King was sung this year at the annual gathering orga nized by The Royal Canadian Legion.

“This is the most sacred day of the year to Remember the sacrifices of our Veterans,” said Dominion President Bruce Julian. “Their sacrifices led to our freedoms and I do hope people will take time to reflect upon this, to

day and always.”

Candy Greff, this year’s National Silver Cross Mother laid a wreath on behalf of all military mothers who have lost children in service to their country. Her son, Master Corporal By ron Greff died in 2011 when the armoured vehicle he was in, was hit by a car carrying a suicide bomber. He was on his second tour

of duty in Afghanistan at the time.

Members of the Vice-Regal Party laid wreaths at the base of the National War Memorial. They included Governor-General Mary May Simon; Minister of Veterans Affairs Lawrence MacAulay, accompanied by Sophie Gré goire Trudeau, wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Greg Peters, the Usher of the Black Rod, Paul Ledwell, Deputy Minister of Veter ans Affairs, and General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence.

Bruce Julian, the Dominion President of the Royal Canadian Legion, also joined the ViceRegal Party to lay a wreath. Remembrance-

themed poster and literary contest artists Eugena Lee, Moon Leung, Rachel Graham and Aarika Haque together laid a wreath on behalf of the youth of Canada. Representa tives of other Veteran organizations also paid tribute in this way.

As has become tradition, many groups and individuals took time to place their Poppies on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier after the official ceremony, covering it in Poppy red.

On Remembrance Day evening, 117,000 ani mated Poppies – each representing one of Canada’s Fallen – will once again cascade down the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, and the Poppy Drop will appear on the Sen ate building and the National Arts Centre for a final evening, until midnight.

North Vancouver RCMP investigating after youths cause disturbance at MacDonald’s restaurant

ON November 15 just after 9 p.m., North Vancou ver RCMP responded to a report of a disturbance at the McDonald’s restaurant located at 1219 Ma rine Drive in the District of North Vancouver.

The 911 caller reported a group of 10 to 12 youths causing a disturbance by yelling and swearing at staff, making a mess, and refusing to leave when asked by staff. One of the youths had thrown a chair.

Officers arrived to find the group, aged between 13 and 15, still inside the restaurant. When of ficers asked them to leave, some of the youths refused and continued to swear and yell at them.

One of the youths repeatedly kicked an officer, and was arrested for assaulting a police officer, obstruction, mischief, and causing a distur bance.

After the officers de-escalated the situation, a

number of the teens obstructed officers by pro viding false names. Officers eventually obtained the youths’ contact information in order to con tact their guardians. Eventually, the youths de parted.

The youth who was arrested also provided false identity information, but after officers identified her and obtained her guardians’ contact infor mation, she was released. The officer who was kicked was not seriously injured.

“We are aware that a brief portion showing the end of the incident has been widely circu lated on social media,” said Sgt. Peter DeVries on Thursday. “We have obtained video surveil lance that shows the entire incident, and while our investigation continues, our Youth Support Unit is taking next steps to work with the youths and their families in partnership with the North Shore Restorative Justice Society.”

Photos: The Royal Canadian Legion

All new for 2023, the 2023 INFIN ITI QX60 refines its appeal with a wireless phone charging pad now standard across all grades, the addition of a sleek frame less rear-view mirror and revised lower bumper trim accent co lours: gloss black on QX60 LUXE and dark gray on SENSORY and AUTOGRAPH.

“Blending elegant design with a serene cabin and convenient features that make every drive easier, the INFINITI QX60 strikes a bold impression for drivers desiring space and luxury,” said Steve Rhind, Managing Director of INFINITI Canada.

The 2023 INFINITI QX60 is avail able in four appealing grades,

Dodge is continuing its rollout of the brand’s “Last Call” lineup, announcing the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee, the second of seven special-edition “Last Call” models and one that honours a vehicle that has brought “buzz” to the Dodge brand for decades.

The Dodge Super Bee, first introduced in 1968 and as a Charger model for 1971, reached legendary status in its brief original four-year run by giving customers an ultrahigh-performance vehicle that could serve as both a daily driver and a weekend warrior at the track or drag strip. The 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee aims to carry on that legacy by offering the highest-performance Charger Super Bee model ever produced, with standard drag radials that help the Su per Bee fly to low quarter-mile ETs and spe cial Super Bee badging and graphics that dress up the hive.

“The Dodge Super Bee is more than commemorative of a cool heritage name — it is also a Charger variant of the Chal lenger 1320 grassroots race package,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer – Stellantis. “The special-edition 2023

Dodge Charger Super Bee once again offers a Dodge vehicle that is equally at home on the street or on the drag strip.”

In addition to Plus Group and Carbon/ Suede Package content, the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee special-edition model showcases a swarm of unique features, in cluding: Super Bee exterior badging on the grille and front fenders, Super Bee exterior graphics on the functional hood scoop and rear fenders, 18-by-11-inch drag wheels with 315 drag radials (Scat Pack 392 Widebody), Adaptive damping suspension with Drag Mode, Black Mopar hood pin kit

SRT hood with functional scoop and dual heat extractors, SRT black exhaust tips, Red four-piston Brembo brake system, Super Bee interior instrument panel badge, Super Bee seat back logos and much more.

All 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger models will also carry a special commemo rative “Last Call” underhood plaque, mak ing every 2023 Charger and Challenger es pecially desirable. The brushed aluminum underhood “Last Call” plaque features the vehicle name and a vehicle silhouette, as

tive safety technology including Forward Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Automatic Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warn ing and High Beam Assist.

The QX60 PURE starts at $56,895 MSRP and is generously equipped with INFINITI InTouch™ with a 12.3-inch display featuring wire less Apple CarPlay® and USBbased Android Auto™, INFINITI InTouch Services telematics, WiFi hotspot, 18-inch aluminumalloy wheels, heated front seats, a panoramic moonroof, leatherappointed first- and second-row seating and a power liftgate.

Stepping up to the QX60 LUXE at $61,395, rewards buyers with additions including 20-inch alu minum-alloy wheels, silver Me tallic Weave interior trim, Around View® Monitor with Moving Ob ject Detection, INFINITI 12.3-inch

Dynamic Meter Display for the driver and additional driver as sistance in the form of ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link.

With the QX60 SENSORY ($66,995) key enhancements include a premium smooth, leather-wrapped steering wheel, massaging front seats, black open pore ash wood trim, a mo tion-activated liftgate, 6,000 lbs towing capacity, a Bose® Perfor mance series 17-speaker audio system and heated second-row seats.

The QX60 AUTOGRAPH ($69,995) exemplifies the best of INFINITI design, with semianiline leather-appointed seat ing (first and second rows) with quilting, perforation and con trasting stitching, a Black Ob sidian roof with black roof rails, second-row captain’s chairs and more.

2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee Edition ‘Last

Models

well as “Designed in Auburn Hills” and “As sembled in Brampton” to proclaim each ve hicle’s origin.

each of which are equipped with standard INFINITI Intelligent All-

Wheel Drive. Plus, every QX60 features a standard suite of ac

Ordering information for the 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger will be announced fall 2022.

Markham, Ontario: Genesis Motors Canada has unveiled the third fully-electric vehicle to join its lineup, the 2023 Electrified GV70. Continuing its commitment towards a more sustainable future with the brand planning a fully electric lineup by 2030, the second “Electrified” model will be available for sale in the first half of 2023.

The 77.4kWh battery found in Electrified GV70 is capable of rapid charging from 1080% in just 18 minutes when utilizing 350kW (800V) DC fast charging. Charging rate and time estimate varies based on several fac tors, including current battery charge level, output of the charging unit, vehicle and bat tery settings and outside temperature. Pow ered by 160 kW electric motors in both the front and rear, total output is 320 kW (429 hp) and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. Engaging the Boost mode allows for a 10-second burst of 483 hp.

The GV70’s interior provides a strong sense of harmony by exhibiting the archi tectural philosophy of the “Beauty of Open ness,” making use of elliptical, aerodynamic shapes that are purposeful and functional.

The new 315-horsepower Civic Type R is the most powerful Honda production vehicle ever sold in Canada. Developed in Japan and track-tested around the world, Type R delivers the best driving experience in the hot hatch segment. Beautifully integrated advanced aerodynamics give the new Type R a sleeker design.

“Type R is very important for Honda as the pinnacle of our factory performance and an irreplaceable brand that enables enthu siasts to experience Honda’s racing spirit, and seek the ultimate in speed and driving pleasure,” said Hideki Kakinuma, global Civic Type R development leader. “The allnew Civic Type R will continue that legacy, leveraging Honda’s racetrack-proven en gineering to deliver extreme performance and passion—both on the road and on the racetrack.”

The Civic Type R embodies Honda’s chal lenging spirit, with six different designs since its debut in Japan as a 1997 model. Only the second Civic Type R model ever sold in Can

ada, the all-new and more powerful 2023 model recently set a new production-car front-wheel drive track record at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, home to the Formula 1 Hon da Japanese Grand Prix, securing its legacy as the best performing Civic Type R ever.

Under its new vented aluminum hood is an even more powerful version of Honda’s award-winning K20C1 engine. The turbo charged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine now pro duces 315 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm (SAE net) and 310 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,600 – 4,000 rpm (SAE net) – improvements of 9 hp and 15 lb.-ft. Civic Type R is one of the most pow erful cars in its class per litre, with a specific output of 157.8 hp/litre, up from the previ ous-generation’s 153.3.

A larger grille opening, bigger radiator and a new large-diameter fan improve engine cooling, ensuring sustained, optimal perfor mance during extreme driving. To further strengthen the driver’s connection with the car, the active exhaust valve opens at higher rpm to heighten and enhance the sound of

the engine.

Type R’s smooth and precise six-speed manual transmission is further improved for an even more intimate and rewarding con nection with the driver. A lighter flywheel and a revised rev-match system ensures perfectly paired rev-matching when shifting down through the gears, helping maintain stability on corner entry. The high-strength

board charger (for home charging) and V2L capability (3.68kW).

Available in a single well-appointed trim configuration with all-wheel drive for the Canadian market, the 2023 Electrified GV70 Prestige promises a refined and serene driv ing experience. Seating is adorned in rich Nappa leather.

A complimentary subscription to Gen esis Connected Services allows owners to stay connected with a suite of digital ap plications and remote services that provide convenience and confidence. Owners can remotely monitor vehicle location, battery status, and range, locate charging stations, and adjust climate settings, as well as start, stop, and schedule a charge.

The Electrified GV70 Prestige’s all-inclu sive price not only contains complimentary five year/100,000 km scheduled mainte nance and updates for multimedia and navigation with optional valet service pick-up and drop-off, but also a courtesy vehicle and complimentary enrollment in the five-year 24/7 Roadside Assistance program.

gearbox has also gained a high-rigidity le ver and optimized shift gate pattern for a reassured and hyper-precise gear change. A standard helical-type limited-slip differential puts the engine’s power to the pavement ef fectively.

Pricing and additional details on the 2023 Honda Civic Type R will be provided closer to launch this fall.

The inspired, driver-centric layout features a floating centre console with jewelry inspired controls and slim wraparound vents that cre ate a feeling of width and space. The Elec trified version continues this tradition with distinctive interior treatments.

Unique visual characteristics of the Elec

trified model include the reverse G-Matrix grille which conceals the hidden charge port, front and rear skid plates, and a unique rear bumper. EV-exclusive standard 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Primacy Tour A/S tires. The Integrated Charging Con trol Unit (ICCU) features a high-power on

The title for my review may be misleading. Forgive me. Go all in with Hunt, a dy namic new action thriller from Mongrel Media. Just don’t confuse the movie’s real name with Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise’s newest cre ation. Mind you, it might as well be Mission Impossible as it’s really spy versus spy in this spectacular adven ture. Check out VIFF.org , VanCity theatre for show times, Behind enemy lines we go. Soulful Korea is where our story begins. In a routine foreign trip to Washington D.C. we go back to 1983. When an Assassination plot is uncovered it’s up to South Korean secret service types to unravel a deadly mystery. You need a playbook and a sharp mind to follow the mystery as a defection sets off a battle of wills between two nationalistic govern ment agencies charged with protecting the country. Egos and heroics clash be

tween the heads of these intelligence departments. Gritty and explosive Hunt sees the spy boys ( and girls) go after a mystery master spy with smashing results.

As good as any Hollywood spy outing Hunt is fast, fun and ferocious. Outstanding

portrayals by Lee Jung-jae. and Jung Woo Sung As the macho spy masters gives Hunt the edge as a tautly paced thriller well worthy of your time.

For more reviews please visit my website moviere viewssite.com

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BC Home Sales Remain Slow While Active Listings Plateau

Vancouver, BC: The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 5,242 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in October 2022, a decrease of 45.5 per cent from October 2021. The average MLS® residential price in BC was $932,979, a 3.1 per cent decrease from $963,011 recorded in October 2021. Total sales dollar volume was $4.9 billion, a 47.2 per cent decline from the same time last year.

“Sales activity remains slow across the province and inventories appear to be plateauing,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “While prices have fallen from peak levels reached in early 2022, average prices have recently leveled off.” Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was down 26.3 per cent from the same

Nov. 19, 2022 Volume 30 Number 47 Ph.: 604-502-6100 Fax: 604-501-6111 Email: voicerealtyads@gmail.com “Celebrating30years inBusiness”

period in 2021 to $73.3 billion. Residential unit sales were down 33 per cent to 72,824 units, while the average MLS® residential price was up 10 per cent to $1.01 million.

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WANDERING poorly prepared into a discus sion about video games is ill-advised. Yet, people who don’t play video games com monly argue that long hours spent focused on digital playthings, especially by children, rot their brains. It is an uninformed point of view. There are plentiful misconceptions about vid eo games. That label itself is outdated. Video games have evolved in many different direc tions and “gamification” is rapidly becoming part of the most important aspects of society, from education and healthcare to banking and retail.

But what about those children isolated in their bedrooms or basements playing games endlessly?

Recent research, published in JAMA Network Open, suggests the kids will be fine. The Ado lescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is a long-term study inviting 11,880 chil dren ages 9-10 and their families across 21 locations in the U.S. to participate in research that tracks their biological and behavioral de velopment through adolescence into young adulthood.

The new findings involving nearly 2,000 of these children indicate that those who re ported playing video games for three or more hours per day performed better on cogni tive skills tests involving impulse control and working memory compared to children who had never played video games.

But should these kids adhere to the longstanding Gifford-Jones advice of practicing “all things in moderation”?

The ABCD Study is ongoing and will help an swer this question in the years ahead as these children mature into young adults.

But the evidence to date suggests there are ample benefits to video games among the young and old alike.

Students gain expertise in subjects like his tory, literature, religion, mathematics, and science through games without knowing they are learning. They also gain skills in strategy, creative thinking, problem solving, eye-hand coordination, and of course, concentration. Games also provide opportunities to learn about topics such as cooking, politics, agri culture, and city planning that people may not have been exposed to in school.

Many games can help people become more physically active, not less. From simple and fun games that get people up from the couch to dance to virtual reality games that demand physical prowess and stamina from partici pants, there are opportunities for using games to get exercise.

Studies have shown that people who play more games report better mental health. Crit ics overlook the social elements of the games people play, and it is these game features that involve teamplay and social networks which participants report as the drivers of better wellbeing.

Online games played an important role in helping friends and families stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, socializing together while keeping a distance. But there are concerns too. It’s hard to find the humanity in violent video games. The connection between games that offer re wards for repeated accomplishment of goals and the development of addiction behaviours is still hotly debated. And the gaming industry has struggled with how it has handled gender and race.

Julius Caesar said, “Experience is the teacher of all things.”

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, sug gested it takes 10,000 hours of intensive prac tice to achieve mastery of a skill.

Game on for video games

The children in the ABCD Study performing better on cognitive tests are playing at least three hours of games a day. That is just over 1,000 hours a year.

According to people who try to measure these things, it takes about 700 hours of learn ing to be an expert in yoga and about 42,240 hours to be an expert in neurosurgery. Those 1,000 hours of video games do not seem so bad in light of it all.

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

her father under the pen name, Diana GiffordJones. 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.