DARPAN MAGAZINE - JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2023

TIME BUYERS PURCHASES WITH AS LOW AS 5% DOWN

PRIVATE & 2ND MORTGAGES

REFINANCES & SWITCHES

COMMERCIAL & SMALL BUSINESS LOANS

FARM FINANCING

BAD CREDIT

NEW IMMIGRATION

SECURED LINE OF CREDIT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Hello DARPAN readers,

We wish you all a very Happy New Year. The new year means new beginnings and that is exactly what we are wanting to do at Darpan. Our very first issue of the year, our January/February 2023 issue comprises of a range of interesting and informative articles.

On the cover is Amarjit Dhadwar, who is not just the owner of the successful business A1 Sports located in Surrey but is also an A1 philanthropist. A1 Sports has become synonymous with a platform for positive change and Dhadwar has led and been associated with countless fundraisers. Of all his involvements, the generous community activist credits his 50/50 event to be a key milestone in his philanthropic journey. In the 50/50 fundraiser, Dhadwar spent 50 hours elevated 50 feet in the air, on a crane platform, raising money for charity. So far, Dhadwar has executed 20 such 50/50 fundraisers, for causes such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Ride2Survive, Diabetes Canada, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Rain or shine, the community has always opened their hearts to supporting these causes, as Dhadwar and his team have always exceeded initial fundraising goals. Read more about his journey in the Cover Story.

We have your 2023 astrological forecast for this year where we give you a glimpse of your horoscope. We have some great lifestyle articles on how to make 2023 a great year mentally and physically for yourself. Darpan chats shines a spotlight on leaders within the community who continue to educate and inspire others. Meet teacher Gurpreet Kaur Bains, is Modern Languages Department Head at Surrey’s LA Matheson Secondary School (LAM), she has actively collaborated with the Ministry of Education and the Museum of Surrey in developing South Asian curriculum and teaching resources. Gurpreet was awarded the Surrey Now Community Leader Award, titled “Teacher of the Year”.

We are also excited to announce Darpan’s inaugural Women Power of Influence Gala 2023 in honour of International Women’s Day is taking place on March 24, 2023 at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. The evening will consist of most influential South Asian women, followed by top-notch entertainment, and a gourmet meal.

We hope you enjoy this issue and keep supporting us always.

PUBLISHERS

Gurvinder S. Hundal

Ramneek S. Dhillon

EDITED BY Petrina D’Souza

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Ish Sharma

GRAPHIC DESIGNER & VIDEO EDITOR

Jaskaran Singh

ADVERTISING AND SALES

Gurvinder S. Hundal

Ramneek S. Dhillon

Gaurav Bhutani

WRITERS

Benjamin Yong

Georgia Nicols

Mrinalini Sundar

Naina Grewal

Shweta Kulkarni

Michele Marko

Ish Sharma

CONTACT

Tel: 604-572-0199

Email: info@darpanmagazine.com

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DARPAN Magazine is published by DARPAN PUBLICATION LTD. DARPAN is a bi-monthly magazine. Any reproduction of the magazine, editorial content, images or advertisement cannot be reproduced or reprinted in any form, without prior written permission of the Publishers. The views expressed by the writers in this publication are not necessarily the views of the Publishers. The Publishers assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Copyright 2023 DARPAN Publication Ltd. All rights reserved. Publications sales agreement no. 41116014

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November/December 2022

Really great articles in the issue, lots of South Asians doing some great things out there. Enjoyed reading about all the achievers and the 2022 Awards Recipients

– Jasjit Singh

Re: Hello Jasjit, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Yes, it is really amazing to see so many remarkable South Asians doing amazing work in the community, and for the community. Keep writing to us always!

DARPAN

Darpan Fitness

Hey, really good article on gut health. I so looking forward to including some of these into my lifestyle in the New Year.–

Rohit Kapoor

Re: Thanks Rohit, we are glad you liked the article. We really hope you see positive changes to your health with these tips and do let us know how it goes.

– DARPAN

Darpan Spotlight

Good to see our youth doing good in sports. Congrats to proud parents of Mannat Hundal and Sukhmanpreet. Look forward to reading more of such features, it’s also inspiring for other kids to read about these achieves and learn from such stories. – Anita

Re: Thank you for writing to us Anita. We will make sure to keep bringing such stories to our readers and we agree it helps other youth get inspired. – DARPAN

Immigrant Column

I enjoy reading the immigrant column in your magazine. I think it gives hope to other immigrants and advice when they start their new life here. – Mrs. Kavita Gupta

Re: Hello Mrs. Kavita, yes, we created the Immigrant column so that new immigrants can get some advice from other immigrant families, along with support and hope that things will work out. Continue to write to us.

People have been assuming that you were going to become Premier for some time now. Did you always want this job? Why go for this job upon former Premier John Horgan’s retirement and what has motivated you to take it up? What challenges do you continue to foresee in your new role as Premier?

My dad was a lawyer. I followed my father into law because I wanted to do good things for people who were being treated unfairly. I eventually came to realize that instead of fighting bad government through the law, it would help more people to build a government that did good things for people. My colleagues encouraged me to step up to become premier. Being premier makes a lot of demands on family life. With the support of my wife, Cailey, we decided we could find a balance between allimportant home life and serve British Columbians. So far, so good. All of which, to answer your question, is, no, I did not always want this job. But I am glad to be doing it now. As for challenges, politics is about finding the right balance. Our government is working hard to create affordable housing, to protect healthcare, to foster safer streets by addressing the root causes of crime and poverty.

How will your leadership style differ from former premier John Horgan’s?

Premier Horgan led us through a pandemic unlike any other in our lifetime. He was a rare figure in public life who left office more popular than when he started. He was a mentor to me, almost like a coach. I’m proud of the work we did together to get big money out of politics, crack down on money laundering, and out ICBC on track to deliver savings for drivers. While our leadership style differs in some ways, we both believe in collaboration as the best way to find solutions.

You were in the role of Housing Minister prior to your appointment as Premier. What will be your strategy in handling the housing crisis and making sure that the dream of home ownership is not being chased away from young people? How will you tackle homelessness?

We’re tackling the housing crisis on both fronts: fighting speculation and building record numbers of homes –including accelerating housing construction even further. Recently, we introduced legislation to get more homes built and changed unfair strata rental restrictions, which makes it possible for homes that are vacant to be rented. It will also remove discriminatory age and rental restrictions in stratas that hurt young families. This is all part of the making the largest investment in housing supply in B.C.’s history – $7 billion over 10 years – and working with partners to deliver 114,000 affordable homes. More than 36,000 homes are already completed or underway throughout the province, with much more to come.

The words “Dumpster Fire” have been used by you for ICBC. There was also a delay in British Columbians receiving their ICBC rebate cheques. So will you be scrapping ICBC and bringing in a new model?

I’m confident the generational reforms to ICBC are

paying off with affordable, stable rates and good benefits for customers, and a path to financial stability for the corporation – there are no plans to change the model. Under ICBC’s Enhanced Care insurance model, insurance rates in British Columbia have gone from some of the most expensive in Canada to being among the most affordable, according to a new report conducted by Ernst & Young. When B.C. transitioned to Enhanced Care, the majority of ICBC customers who renewed their full coverage personal auto insurance saved, on average, $490 or about 28 per cent compared to premiums in the old model.

A lot of people are not happy about how the leadership race was handled with the challenger Anjali Appadurai being ousted out of the party. How do you hope to restore the faith and trust of the youth for the BCNDP?

I care deeply about climate change and work every day to further our CleanBC plan to dramatically lower emissions this decade. We have the most ambitious climate targets on the continent, and we are collaborating to build a cleaner economy. As father to two children, I am aware of the urgent need to address climate change today. My leadership represents a generational change. We are doing exciting things to build a better future for all British Columbians. We are building new schools, homes, hospitals, and post-secondary institutions. I’m excited about building a clean, sustainable economy as the world moves away from carbon energy.

Anjali Appadurai is a well-known climate activist, is there a chance that you will use her expertise as part of your cabinet?

As you know, the practice is to build a cabinet from members elected to the Legislature. The voters of B.C. sent to Victoria an NDP caucus which better represents the population than any previous caucus in the history of the province. We have a superb cabinet of British Columbians of varied backgrounds and lived experiences.

As Premier, you have introduced a range of new measures aimed at boosting public safety in communities across B.C. The Safer Communities Action Plan, is a key piece with public safety. Liberal MLA, Elenore Sturko, for Surrey South, questioned why the plan

wasn’t introduced by you during your five years as Attorney General. According to you, what has been the reason for the delay?

Since we formed government, we’ve taken on huge challenges to combat crime and public safety. From day one, I made tackling money laundering a top priority, as it fuels organized crime and the toxic drug crisis. The Safer Communities Action Plan is our next step in bringing together enforcement, community services, health experts, and others to tackle the issue of violent repeat offending together.

You have proposed legislation to bring in “unexplained wealth orders”, which you say will dissuade those attracted to gang lifestyles in early 2023. The orders would seize the “houses, cars, and luxury goods” of organized criminals— something recommended by the Cullen Commission on money laundering earlier this year. What costs do you estimate for the new measures?

Some young people are attracted to gang life by flashy images of fast cars, fancy homes, and luxury goods. Unexplained wealth orders are a tool to send a clear message to organized crime. We will be seizing the assets and going after the proceeds that attract young people to organized crime and gag life. More details will be available when we introduce legislation this spring.

You are wanting to open 10 new Indigenous justice centres across the province, and you want to offer more access to culturally appropriate legal services for Indigenous people. Do we know where these centres will open as the Province has only mentioned metropolitan areas and the timeline on when the first five centres will open this year?

In partnership with the BC First Nations Justice Council, we’re implementing the BC First Nations Justice Strategy to reduce the over incarceration of Indigenous Peoples and revitalize Indigenous legal practices and traditions. There are currently three Indigenous Justice Centres open in Merritt, Prince George and Prince Rupert, as well as the virtual Justice Centre, that provides free, culturally relevant legal services. We will be announcing the location of the new Indigenous Justice Centre in the coming weeks. six more are set to open in the next fiscal year. In total, 15 Indigenous Justice Centres will be operational within two years.

What’s a message you would like to share with the South Asian community?

South Asian communities make many incredible contributions to British Columbia. Whether as local business owners, community leaders, or volunteers, you make our province a better place. I’m also fortunate to have several outstanding South Asian leaders on my team. In know people in your communities are facing many challenges right now – from the high cost of living to the long lasting effects of the pandemic. If COVID-19 taught us one thing, it’s that going it alone doesn’t work. The future of B.C. is bright. Together, we can build a better, stronger, and more inclusive province. One where everyone belongs and no one gets left behind.

PHOTO CREDIT:PREMIER EBY

DAVID EBY PREMIER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

The new year brings with it hope and aspirations. For many, it is an avenue for self-reflection and a propellent of positive change. However, after the clock ticked past midnight and 2023 came about, reality still prevails. No matter what habits you vowed to develop or what challenges you promised to deal with, a new year only results in a new you with persistent initiative and positive intention.

When it comes to redefining yourself – in ways big or small – for the new year, the starting point must be a vision or goal that you have for yourself. Make sure that this goal is not based on the standards your family or society has put in place for you. Your vision for the year should come from what you totally aspire to. Ask yourself: Without the pressure of any other person and without considering expectations others may have of you, what do you truly want to achieve? Common types of goals are to:

• Increase something

• Make something

• Improve something

• Reduce something

• Save something

• Develop someone (like yourself!) Goals should be high-level and contain a core objective. Furthermore, if you have too many goals, your goals may not be high-level enough. Perhaps, you are more thinking of things from a tasks perspective vs. an end-results perspective. When you set a goal, its scale can be as minimal or as large as you define it to be. You may desire to hit a certain revenue stream by December, have a certain body weight to muscle ratio, or simply become a more content person. Whatever it may be, picturing yourself having accomplished this goal should truly excite you! Need help setting a SMART goal? Use the following acronym to get started Your goal should be:

Specific

Do make sure your goal is specific and simple enough. Do not set a goal you know is way beyond capacity or too vague. Answer the questions of who, what, when, where, and why when it comes to your goal. This should be like a mission statement.

o Example: “I will go for a 30-minute run daily to train for a marathon.”

Measurable

Do make sure your goal is motivating. Do not set a goal that you cannot tell whether you have accomplished. Determine the metrics you will measure your progress against. It’s okay to set milestones for a more complex goal.

o Example: “I will follow my fitness app’s training program to run a full marathon without stopping.”

Achievable

Do make sure your goal is attainable. Do not set a goal that is not realistic. Remember that the goal should motivate you, not discourage you. Developing skills and new attitudes can be difficult, but worth it if you stay consistent.

o Example: “Given that I am healthy and that I am not new to running, I have enough time to train for a marathon, which is still eight months away.”

Relevant

Do make sure your goal is worthwhile. Do not set a goal that does not actually matter to you. Your goal should make sense to you and fit within the vision you have for yourself. If it doesn’t align with who you want to be, it is not relevant to you.

o Example: “I want to be a fitness-oriented person who has physical strength and high levels of energy.”

Time-bound

Do make sure you set checkpoints. Do not set a goal with no milestones along the way. Realistic timing is oh-so-important. Giving yourself time boundaries also creates a sense of urgency, prompting you to get the job done.

o Example: “I have signed for a marathon eight months from now.”

After you establish a goal, the next step is to break it down. Determine what you need to do each month, each week and each day to get closer to your goal. When feeling demotivated or low in energy, you can even check in yourself: At this point in am I moving towards or ther away from my goal? beginning, there is solely one to success: consistency. All goals only be propelled towards with right habits. Small changes in your daily lifestyle and activities will be steps towards achieving your goal. On average, it takes two months to form a habit. Do not give up in the beginning or easily walk away. The changes you have to make may not feel great in the start. Be prepared and anticipate the internal pushback

In that light, your process in the beginning may seem mechanical. What’s even harder to digest is that the return on investment may not be as apparent in the start either. Results will start to emerge only as you continue the journey. In the first phase, it is effective to put on blinders and simply do the actions that are necessary to form the right habits. That said, along the way, keep checking with the SMART metric to ensure that your goal still makes sense for you. Nothing is set in stone and you are allowed to review your goals if they no longer speak to you. Finally, know that along the way, there will be obstacles and challenges to deter you. However, keep an anchor thought, potentially positive thoughts about the accomplishment of your goal or a motivating catalyst. Use this thought to bring you back into the present moment and keep yourself going. On the contrary, if your goal seems near, don’t get overconfident and get off track. Evaluate what’s working and keep the momentum going.

If you set these goals carefully and with the intention to follow through, at the end of the year, you will see a significant learning curve and be proud of the journey you have taken. It may even be a fun exercise to take a before and after snapshot in time, or to write your goal in an envelope to revisit later in the year. The new year is all about a fresh start and looking towards the future with optimism. As you embark on a journey of your own new beginnings, your SMART goals are sure to be the key to success!

PICTURES COURTESY: ISTOCK

What’s in Store for you this year?

2023

Y early PREDICTIONS

By georgia nicols

Aries (March 21- April 19)

Element: Fire

Symbol: The Ram Ruling Planet: Mars

“Show me the money”

Your Modus Operandi

Youre a go-getter. Youíre honest because you donít have time to think of a lie. You crave adventure and the thrill of discovery. You like the outdoors and are a happy camper. You love hats, speed, the military, sunglasses, babies, animals, bonfires, arts and crafts, sports and above all ñ winning! (You hate to lose.)

What’s Happening?

This year you’ll get richer! It is a fortunate year in personal terms as well as with your job. Youíll be upbeat, energetic and optimistic. However, you will go through closets and storage spaces getting rid of what you no longer need. From June through October, you have terrific opportunities to socialize and take vacations. This is a fortunate year for you! Your self-confidence will increase and you will have more poise.

Relationships

This year you are more confident and optimistic, which will make you more appealing! As the year wears on, and you become richer, this might be a sexy attraction for some. (Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success!) From June through October, you will free freer and confident. Expect a fun, exciting, socially charged summer!

Home & Family

Life with home and family will improve this year because youíre more confident and you feel richer. Because youíre happier, relations with family members will be happier. Your increased income can promote gatherings, vacations and entertaining diversions. However, because you will be downsizing, it might signal a time for older children to leave the nest.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

Element: Earth

Symbol: The Bull Ruling Planet: Venus

“I appreciate my blessings & good fortune”

Your Modus Operandi

You enjoy good wine, good food, good sex and a nice place to live. You want mortgage- free acreage. You have gourmet tastes. You have an amazing ability to make money. You are sensuous and tactile. You love beautiful things. Youíre the best parent because you know itís about a warm bed, three-square meals a day and staying solvent.

What’s Happening?

This year you want more individual freedom. You will attract wealth, resources and important people to you. The spiritual dimensions of your life will be enriched. Real-estate will profitable. You will strengthen areas to protect yourself from future adversity. Recognition from others might come to you. Your health will be strong, and you will find it easy to be patient and persevering. Meanwhile, with lucky Jupiter in your sign, youíve got it made in the shade.

Relationships

There will be a shift in your relationships this year because you have decided youíre going to take time for yourself. This means it will be a time of testing for some relationships. You might decide to end some relationships. Nevertheless, once lucky Jupiter enters your sign, you will become happier, more congenial and more confident!

Home & Family

This year you have more time for loved ones. Because youíll put a greater value on your own independence, youíll have more time with family members. In June, July, August, September and October, you will entertain more and enjoy making your home more beautiful. Relations with family will be more affectionate.

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 1, 2, 28, 29 | February 24, 25

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

Element: Air

Symbol: The Twins

Ruling Planet: Mercury

“My time of harvest has arrived!”

Your Modus Operandi

You want to know whatís happening in your back yard and across the globe. The price of the new Tesla? Air fryer meals? The rarest M&M colour? You hate to be bored or ignored. You adore words, and are an engaging conversationalist. Youíre clever with your hands. Youíre intrigued with gadgets; but most of all -- you need your freedom!

What’s Happening?

This year you will experience success in your career and public reputation. Opportunities will arrive! Perhaps a promotion? An award? Your past efforts will be acknowledged. You will be popular with friends and organizations. Many of you will work to make the world a better place. You might focus on the spiritual or religious dimensions of your life, and study metaphysics, astrology or anything that gives you answers. You might become a spiritual teacher or guide.

Relationships

Some will undergo major changes in your closest relationships because this year, you see what is working and what is not. Some will end a partnership. Others will face the challenge of your partner accepting your increased success and prestige. However, relations with others will be positive and upbeat! Be careful not to be so involved with your success, that you overlook personal relationships.

Home & Family

You might find it challenging to find the time for home and family because you have increased responsibilities. Your mantle of success will demand your time and attention. However, if youíre aware of this, you can make whatever time you devote to your family be as meaningful as possible. This is an eventful year for you.

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 25, 26, 27 |

March 20, 22, 23 |

May 15, 16 |

February 22, 23, 24

April 23, 28, 29

June 11, 12, 13

July 8, 9, 10 |

August 5, 6

September 1, 2, 29, 30 |

November 22, 23, 24 |

October 26, 27

December 19, 20, 21

March 23, 24, 25 | April 20, 21

May 17, 18, 19 | June 13, 14, 15

July 10, 11, 12 | August 7, 8

September 3, 4, 5 | October 1, 2, 28, 29, 30

November 24, 25, 26 | December 21, 22, 23

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 2, 3, 4, 30, 31 |

March 25, 26, 27 |

May 19, 20, 21 |

July 13, 14, 15|

September 5, 6, 7 |

November 26, 27, 28 |

February 26, 27, 28

April 22, 23, 24

June 16, 17, 18

August 9, 10, 11

October 3, 4, 30, 31

December 24, 25, 26

cancer (June 21- July 22)

Element: Water

Symbol: The Crab

Ruling Planet: Moon

“I like being involved with more people”

Your Modus Operandi

You hold the world together. You grow food, cook food, and serve it on the table you built. You fix engines, care for the sick, and entertain everyone with your fabulous sense of humour. You love boating, marinas, motor repairs, fishing and swimming. Youíre a talented photographer; plus, you can sew and do carpentry. You fix things!

What’s Happening?

This year you look successful and affluent. Your popularity with others will increase! You will strike up new friendships and become more involved with groups. This summer, you will attract money and material possessions to you. In March, Saturn moves into Pisces. (The last time this occurred was 1994-1996.) This means itís time to lay the groundwork for your time of harvest, which will begin in two years. You look good now -- but youíre going to look even better in 2026!

Relationships

This is a fantastic year for relationships. Your positive appeal will attract new friends. As you explore new areas of thought, you will bump into like minds and form new friendships. Many of you will travel more, which will also introduce you to new people. You will also interact more with clubs and groups with year, politically or otherwise.

Home & Family

In the same way that relations wth others will improve this year; likewise, relations with family members will improve. Your success will bring you increased wealth and prestige, which will indirectly benefit family members. You might have more discretionary income to spend on loved ones, or take vacations.

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 5, 6, 7 |

February 1, 2, 3

March 1, 2, 28, 29, 30 |

May 22, 23 |

July 15, 16, 17 |

April 24, 25, 26

June 18, 19, 20

August 11, 12, 13

September 8, 9, 10 |

October 5, 6, 7

November 1, 2, 3, 29, 30 |

Dec 1, 26, 27, 28

leo (July 23- August 22)

Element: Fire

Symbol: The Lion Ruling Planet: Sun

“I like this recognition”

Your Modus Operandi

Youíre one of the most generous signs in the zodiac. You are dramatic, theatrical and know how to make an entrance. You are impossibly creative. You imagine movie ideas, plots for books and designs for sculptures. This is because youíre quick to see the big picture. Youíre the leader. Your enthusiasm and charisma inspire us!

What’s Happening?

This year you might have to give up practical or financial support. Nevertheless, for the first time in 12 years, Jupiter will be at the top of your chart bringing promotions and public recognition. Your success will be obvious! In June, fair Venus will be in your sign until mid-October. (Unusual!) ) You will travel for pleasure, socialize and will look fabulous. Enjoy luncheons, dinners and social events. Plan ahead to make the most of this blessing!

Relationships

Since 2020, your relationships have experienced tension and conflict. But this year, that time of testing is over! People want to be with you. You will socialize more. You might take vacations. Venus will be in your sign for June, July August, September and part of October making you charming, and keen to socialize. People will like you and you love to be adored.

Home & Family

You will be happier, which promotes good feelings at home. family might benefit from new perks. However, you might have Your to get along with less practical support this year, which means you have to come up with new survival skills, and put a new spin on things.

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 7,

Reflecting

virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)

Element: Earth

Symbol: The Virgin

Ruling Planet: Mercury

“I’m eager to travel, learn & expand my world” Your Modus Operandi

Youíre intelligent, clever and witty. You regale others with stories and facts in different accents or the perfect imitation of your boss or your mother-in-law. Youíre up on the latest about vitamins, grounding mats, ear candling and intermittent fasting. Youíre a news junkie and a researcher par excellence. You give your time because you find it rewarding to help others and be useful.

What’s Happening?

This year Saturn will oppose your sign for the first time since 1994-1996, which might make you feel tired. Meanwhile, lucky Jupiter will be in your fellow Earth Sign, which will make your life so pleasant, youíll be tempted to relax and play. Opportunities to travel will abound. You will attract money and material resources. You will become more polished and knowledgeable, which promotes your success when Jupiter sits at the top of your chart in 2023-2024.

Relationships

This year is a mixed bag for relationships. There will be a greater tendency to find fault with someone. You might question the relationship itself. Fortunately, Jupiter will enhance your feelings of well-being and boost your confidence. Whereas Saturn makes you feel discouraged and tired; Jupiter supporting your sign makes you feel pumped and optimistic!

Home & Family

If partnerships suffer this year, this can affect the entire family. However, most partnerships will endure after a period of adjustment. Jupiter will attract money, which will benefit family activities. You have great opportunities to travel. One thing is certain: starting in May, your sense of humour will improve, which is always a plus for family.

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 10, 11, 12 |

February 6, 7, 8

March 5, 6, 7 | April 2, 3, 4, 20, 30

May 227, 28, 29 |

July 20, 21, 22 |

June 23, 24, 25

August 16, 17, 18

September 13, 14, 15 |

November 6, 7, 8 |

October 10, 11, 12

December 3, 4, 5, 31

libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22)

Element: Air

Symbol: The Scales

Ruling Planet: Venus

“My life is enriched financially and practically through this year”

Your Modus Operandi

You appreciate stylish clothes, rich textiles, attractive stemware, elegant jewelry, fine linens, beautiful furniture, music, poetry and literature. You are affected by the world around you. Youíre a skilled debater. You understand the nuances of justice; and many of you work in the legal profession. Because you need peace and harmony, youíre a people pleaser. You love to socialize.

What’s Happening?

This year, you enter a time similar to 1994-1995. Itís time to put your life in order because in two years, you will gain recognition! (Start to work hard.) This is an excellent time to enter a business partnership because you will get richer through partners and colleagues. At first, it wonít be obvious; but sweeping changes for the best will occur that make your life more rewarding. Itís an excellent year to get a mortgage or a loan.

Relationships

This is the perfect year to enter into a new relationship because you will benefit practically and emotionally. Your wealth will increase or you might benefit from something someone else owns. During the spring of this year, you might experiment romantically. You might feel bold about exploring ìdifferentî relationships that you havenít fully acknowledged before.

Home & Family

Challenges and burdens will diminish this year. Life will flow more easily. Your children will become a source of joy. The year will be a time of healing for you, which affect your relations with family in a positive way. You will work hard and be a role model. Younger people need to see that rewards based on work and effort.

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 12, 13, 14 | February 9, 10, 11

March 8, 9, 10 | April 4, 5, 6

May 2, 3, 29, 30, 31 | June 25, 26, 27

July 23, 24, 25 | August 19, 20, 21

September 15, 16, 17 | October 12, 13, 14

November 9, 10, 11 | Dec 6, 7, 8

Reflecting The South-Asian Lifestyle

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

Element: Water

Symbol: The Scorpion & the Eagle Ruling Planet: Pluto

“My life is so much easier this year”

Your Modus Operandi

You are passionate, strong and determined. Youíre also playful, and you love to tease. You have excellent comedic timing. You face situations that others fear, like operating rooms. morgues, police work, being a first responder, or working in jobs dealing with butchery or death. Once you commit to a self-improvement kick ñ watch out world!

What’s Happening?

This year you continue to attract opportunities to find a better job or improve your existing job and your health. It will help you to consult experts, lawyers, advisors and astrologers or enter into a partnership. From June to October, you look successful, diplomatic and charming to people in power. Saturn will help you to stay focused, organized and accomplish as much as you can. The combination of Jupiter and Saturn working in tandem this year will bring you increased recognition. Definitely.

Relationships

This will be the best year for relationships in over a decade. (From May 2023 to June 2024 is the best time for Scorpios to get married in 12 years.) Those who marry this year will marry someone richer, slightly older or more established. You will respect this person and their accomplishments. This same blessing will benefit existing relationships.

Home & Family

Family life will run more smoothly because you will have less tension. You’ll be happier! And more successful! Obviously, these things will contribute to a happier family life. Plus, from June to October, relations with partners, parents, and older family members will improve in a lovely, affectionate way.

My Lucky Days for 2023 January

sagittarius

(Nov 22- Dec 21)

Element: Fire

Symbol: The Centaur

Ruling Planet: Jupiter

“This year is full of opportunites & rewards”

Your Modus Operandi

You are the traveller of the zodiac. You travel for work, pleasure or both. You want to learn new things ñ new belief systems, philosophies, anomalies of nature and whatís happening in different lands. You are deeply fond of animals, especially your pets. You are an optimist who believes in the power of positive thinking. Your personal freedom is life affirming. You love good times with friends! Youíre always ready to take a chance.

What’s Happening?

This year you have fabulous opportunities to improve your job or get a better job. If you donít believe this, you might not explore the wonderful opportunities available to you. Likewise, this year you can improve your health. From July until mid-October, you have marvellous opportunities to travel for pleasure. Your experience of the world will be broaden and you will be attracted to new people and experiences that are different from your own everyday world.

Relationships

Even though some of the relationship you enjoy this year will be stimulating and very ìdifferentî; nevertheless, because you are building a new foundation in your world, itís important you seek serious relationships. At this stage in your life, you want to secure your home base, even if itís just a landing pad between your many travels.

Home & Family

It is time to secure your home base and create a reliable home and refuge for yourself and your family. Some of you might have the increased responsibility for taking care of a parent. Or you might play the role of a parent for another family member.

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 19, 20, 21 |

February 16, 17, 18

March 13, 14, 15 |

May 6, 7, 8 |

April 9, 10, 11

June 3, 4, 30

July 1, 2, 27, 28, 29 |

September 20, 21, 22 |

November 13, 14, 15 |

August 24, 25, 26

October 17, 18, 19

December 11, 12, 13

capricorn

(Dec 22- Jan 19)

Element: Air

Symbol: The Water Carrier

Ruling Planet: Uranus

“I’m ready for happier times with the promise of vacation”

Your Modus Operandi

Youíre a practical realist. You think carefully about your future and you plan for it. You work hard. You hate waste. Nevertheless, because you value prestige and respect, you spend money on labels. When you choose to be ñ youíre classy! You are reliable, dependable and persevering ñ all dogged qualities that guarantee success. You have traditional values.

What’s Happening?

Since early 2020, many of you have felt financial disappointments. This year Jupiter in your fellow Earth sign will promote work-related travel and enhance financial opportunities! Many of you will make material acquisitions. Life will flow more easily. Meanwhile, youíre entering a two to three-year window when many will change jobs or residences or both. Itís important to know that this is actually an advantage for you to plan ahead.

Relationships

Without question, your relationships will improve in 2023. The main reason for this is that you will feel happier and more confident and because of this, you will appear more attractive to others. As your finances improve and you feel richer and more confident, this will promote your joy in socializing. You will be more inclined to reach out and initiate social interactions.

Home & Family

This is the best year in over a decade to plan for a family vacation. Anything from an ambitious trip to camping. Start now to make plans for you and your loved ones. Many of you will expand your family, if you have not already done so last year. Parents will derive greater joy from their children this year.

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 19, 20, 21 | February 16, 17, 18

March 15, 16, 17 |

April 11, 12, 13

May 8, 9, 10 | June 5, 6, 7

July 2, 3, 4, 30, 31 | August 26, 27, 28

September 22, 23, 24 |

October 19, 20, 21

November 16, 17, 18 |

Reflecting

aquarius

(Jan 20 - Feb 18)

Element: Air

Symbol: The Water Carrier

Ruling Planet: Uranus

“I survived! I’m happier & grateful”

Your Modus Operandi

You are the most original sign in the zodiac. You know how to work a room. Youíre the clever, intellectual who plays devilís advocate. You were born 50 years ahead of your time. Many of you are geeks, wizards, scientists and comfortable with technology. You are often the voice of your generation, who works with the collective ñ the global village. You are a loyal friend.

What’s Happening?

You will be so much happier this year! Life has been tough since March 2020. The struggles you survived are over. After March, you will feel younger, lighter, happier and will a greater zest for life! Your challenge now is to learn what is really important to you. Because you will have increased peace of mind and security this year, youíll be willing to explore new ventures. You have a big wide world open ahead of you!

Relationships

Your relationships will be much, happier and easier to maintain after March this year. Things have been so tough since 2020, some have ended relationships or came close to it. Because itís important for you to put down roots, many of you will consider a committed relationship, whereas before you had doubts. This summer is fabulous for romance and partnerships!

Home & Family

Your home and family scene will be more blessed in 2023 than in over a decade. Family members will be happier and more generous. You want to put down roots and secure your base, You will do major redecorating projects or renovations, or you improve your home by moving. Enjoy!

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 21, 22, 23 | February 18, 19

March 17, 18, 19 | April13, 14, 15

May 10, 11, 12 | June 7, 8, 9

July 4, 5, 6 | August 28, 29, 30

September 24, 25, 26 | October 22, 23, 24

November 18, 19, 20 | December 15, 16, 17

pisces

(Feb 19 - March 20)

Element: Water

Symbol: The Fish

Ruling Planet: Neptune

“I survived! I’m on new turf, creating a new me”

Your Modus Operandi

You are attractive. You always look like the best version of who you are. You move with grace. You love costumes, light displays, music, film, photography and glamorous spectacle. You especially love the ocean and swimming. Youíre sensitive to the sufferings of others. Your friendly, whimsical nature makes you a welcome guest at any party.

What’s Happening?

The bottom line for this year is that initially, you will earn more money. You will also enter an entire new arena that is new ground for you. (This new space will allow you to begin to reinvent yourself in the next seven years.) Although you will be focused more seriously on your inner world and your inner development; nevertheless, life will flow more easily! With little effort, you will be able to move in the direction that you want to go.

Relationships

All your relationships will improve this year because you have survived the Dark Night of the Soul. (ìI used to know people. I used to do things. What happened?î) This summer some of you will begin a workrelated romance. Relations with co-workers will improve, along with your health. Youíre entering a new world!

Home & Family

Life will flow more easily for you this year! It will also be easier to plan things, and make events go the way you want. You will receive greater joy from your kids. Everyone will be generous and more tolerant of others. You will also be less bothered if something goes wrong. You will have more money to spend on family treats and perhaps vacations. Bonus!

My Lucky Days for 2023

January 23, 24, 25 | February 20, 21

March 17, 18, 19 | April 13, 14, 15

May 10, 11, 12 |

June 7, 8, 9

July 4, 5, 6 | August 1, 2, 28, 29

September 26, 27, 28 |

October 24, 25, 26

November 20, 21, 22 | December 17, 18, 19

Dec 13, 14, 15

SELF-LOVE IS THE BEST LOVE

7 Questions to ask when checking in with Yourself

Love is a wonderful feeling. It makes us feel secure, warm, and protected. Often, we dream of receiving some form of love from others, or aspire to give some form of love to our nears and dears. However, the key to the best kind of love lies deep within each one of us. Be it love for one’s career, partner, or the environment – all love for anything external can be directly tied to self-love. Without having love and compassion for the self, we will often find ourselves struggling to connect with things and people around us.

That said, the pressures of today make it difficult to easily embark on a journey of self-love. Thus, mindfulness becomes even more important. We are so good at touching base with others, but so good at not being in tune with ourselves. As such, here are some pointers on how you can practice self-love in your daily life by consistently and continually checking in with yourself through the following questions:

hOW DO I fEEL RIghT NOW?

We’ve had it asked to us way more than we’ve ever asked it to ourselves: how are you? When given to others, the answer is usually surface-level and colloquial, rather than introspective and honest. However, it’s essential to have a candid conversation with yourself and actually allow yourself the space to hear the true answer. Not only can this effectively inform next steps in either maintaining or changing how you feel, but it can support the processing of your emotions so that they come out in the form of positive energy that adds value to your life. Notice what is taking up most of your headspace and what that tells you.

WhAT Am I ThANKfUL fOR?

Gratitude is directly correlated to greater happiness, but it doesn’t come naturally. As complex animals, we are amazing at identifying the negatives in our lives and find ourselves overwhelmed at work trying to solve issues and problems. In an ocean of would’ves, should’ves, could’ves find the people, activities, and even personal traits and accomplishments that you are thankful for. Whether it be as ordinary as pancakes for breakfast or as extraordinary for a breakthrough in your counseling sessions, there’s always something you can express gratitude for. As an added bonus, thankfulness is a life hack for coping with challenges and blocking out toxins such as envy, regret, rumination, and resentment.

WhAT (OR WhO) CAN I LET gO Of ThAT IS NO LONgER SERvINg mY WELL-bEINg?

Without realizing, we sometimes have repetitive patterns that become so familiar and normalized to us, that we don’t fully understand that these patterns have become energy draining mechanisms in our life. This may appear in the form of a seemingly harmless habit such as sacrificing sleep to binge a television show, or a seemingly harmless friendship that has outlived its purpose but is only in our lives because of a long history. Give

yourself the intention to evaluate such presences in your lifestyle, and the permission to respectfully leave through the exit door when something or someone is continually making you feel bad about yourself and is taking more from you than giving to you.

WhAT Am I PUTTINg Off?

Being kind to yourself is a key proponent of self-care, but so is accountability. Sometimes, putting things off is just a tell-tale sign of procrastination, but sometimes, it’s a tad bit deeper. Even identifying procrastination can lead to further analysis of your self-esteem and impulse-control capabilities. On the other hand, putting something off can be an indicator of the fear of dealing unfavorable feelings, or the avoidance of breaking habitual behaviors. Be self-compassionate in those moments and give yourself a break, but just not too many! When you find yourself putting something off, identify why and adopt anti-procrastination strategies like to-do lists, reward systems, and distraction minimization.

WhAT Am I LOOKINg fORWARD TO?

Hope makes the world go round. Pay close attention to the things and events that make you hopeful and that you look forward to experiencing. Give more of your time and energy to these parts of your life. When feeling down, use whatever it is you are looking forward to as anchor thoughts that have the potential to positively define upcoming phases of your life. Achieving goals and doing new things gives us a sense of accomplishment, and also makes us

more likely to take action. Not only does it tell you a story that reveals what is truly important to you, but having something to hope for, dream about, and get excited results in a happier you!

L ATELY, WhAT hAS bEEN STRESSINg mE OUT?

Everyone fantasizes about mastering stress. The only way to get there, though, is to start by figuring out what the causes of stress are in the first place. Be it a job, person, your environment, or even a political happening, don’t just put drivers of your stress to the side and lash out at other unrelated things or people. Displacing stress onto easier targets that don’t require a proactive solution-oriented approach might seem like the easier way out, but it only amplifies the stress. Before stress attacks your emotional equilibrium, determine what it is that’s stressing you out and plan to take the necessary measures to lessen or eradicate it.

WhEN I LISTEN TO mY bODY, WhAT DOES IT NEED?

Your body is your home. Simply taking a moment to sit with yourself can do wonders in terms of really understanding what your body can flourish from: more sleep, deep breaths, nature walks, nutritious foods, water, and so much more! In a battle between the mind and body, the mind will often stretch out the body and overwork it. However, it is important to remember that if the body one day takes a day off unannounced, all that the mind wants to execute is futile and cannot be brought to fruition. As such, give your body the breaks, exercise, nutrients, and love that it deserves.

As you heartily share your love with the world, simultaneously also take a pledge of self-love and promise that you will show yourself the acceptance, encouragement, and patience you show other loved ones in your life. By becoming aware of the different ways in which you can build on self-love and religiously checking in with yourself, you’ll be able to create routines that enhance your quality of life and practice positive self-perception. An awareness of who you are and what you need creates a better you, and a better world!

The biggest reward, for me, is to be known as a Volunteer.”

PICTURE COURTESY: FAHAD PHOTO

As famously said by Winston Churchill, we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. A living testament to this quote is businessman and philanthropist, Amarjit Dhadwar. In addition to establishing a successful family-owned business, A1 Sports located in Surrey, Dhadwar has devoted his life to volunteering his time, money, experience, and skills to those in need, locally and beyond.

Born in the village of Sakohpur in the Nawanshahr District of Punjab, Dhadwar grew up watching his father spearhead various local charitable initiatives. In his youth, Dhadwar himself also was proactively involved in organizing sports events and partaking in them as well. Following his marriage, after immigrating to Canada in 1994, Dhadwar found himself working in many fields, such as furniture delivery, forestry, and trucking, all

By Naina Grewal

Amarjit Dhadwar

in pursuit of a brighter future for his family. Although his trucking career was full-fledged and going strong, a seemingly mundane encounter unexpectedly changed the course of his life.

Dhadwar recalls, “I still vividly remember visiting a family in the Panorama area of Surrey. They had a big house, which I was absolutely enthralled and amazed by. However, when I went inside and met with the couple, I realized how unhappy they were deep down, as parents. The husband and wife expressed how sad they were that their kids had moved out of the very home they had built for them, and were not as closely bonded as they would have liked.” Moved by the conversation, Dhadwar decided to make some adjustments to his own lifestyle. He realized that parents sometimes end up working long hours for the

sake of their children, but are ironically not able to spend enough time with them to foster a close connection, which leads to eventual distance.

With a mission to step foot into a business that allowed for him to stay close to his family, Dhadwar seriously began evaluating alternatives to trucking. Although trucking had good money, he felt detached from his family and the larger community, as he would be away from home for long periods of time. He was always on the go, to the extent that he’d sometimes get news about the current events of Surrey when he’d be dropping off a load in Toronto! Coincidentally, it was in Toronto that Dhadwar spotted a shop similar to the business he runs today. As such, A1 Sports was born, a customized solution for everything sports and more, including equipment, shirts,-

Founded in 2004, the business gradually began to gain traction. After 12 years as a trucker, Dhadwar officially exited the trucking profession in 2008 to solely focus on A1 Sports’ growth. Once he was dedicated full-time to A1 Sports, he began building a circle of like-minded community-oriented people. When his customers would come to collect orders for community events, he’d often ask them details about the event and offer to volunteer his time, attendance, and participation! Dhadwar shares a specific story, “In 2012, I interacted with one of my customers, who turned out to be an officer with the Delta Police Department. I asked him about the event he was a part of and he mentioned Cops for Cancer. I knew I had to get involved!” Undoubtedly, that conversation transformed into much more. Today, Dhadwar is not only the Director of the Delta Police Foundation, which is a bridge between the public and police, but also a member of the Delta Police Pipe Band, world renowned for crowd pleasing musical presentations.

Over time, Dhadwar’s interests in such community events and volunteer initiatives have grown tremendously. A1 Sports has become synonymous with a platform for positive change and Dhadwar has led and been associated with countless fundraisers. Of all his involvements, the generous community activist credits his 50/50 event to be a key milestone in his philanthropic journey. In the 50/50 fundraiser, Dhadwar spent 50 hours elevated 50 feet in the air, on a crane platform, raising money for charity. The idea is to attract people’s attention, get them curious about what’s going on, and then raise awareness on important issues while collecting donations. So far, Dhadwar has executed 20 such 50/50 fundraisers, for causes such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Ride2Survive, Diabetes Canada, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Rain or shine, the community has always opened their hearts to supporting these causes, as Dhadwar and his team have always exceeded initial fundraising goals.

Dhadwar is also at the forefront in moments of crisis. In partnership with Guru Nanak Food Bank and BC Airlift Emergency Response Operations (BC AERO), he led an operation to support those affected by the November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods. Alongside Dhadwar, volunteers handmade more than 3,000 meals that were sent to Hope via

-jackets, hoodies, uniforms, trophies, awards, signs, and banners, among an array of other items.

helicopters, and given out to people still stranded there after flooding and landslides closed the highways. Over a span of three weeks, Dhadwar headed extensive meal preparation efforts and worked with BC AERO to airlift 400,000 pounds of food and items of basic needs, through 425 flights in various flood-impacted areas. Dhadwar now holds a directorship with BC AERO. In fact, when Merrit’s Nicola Valley Food Bank called on him for help this past December, he brought a food and toy drive to life within a short period of three days. To encourage donations, Dhadwar and his team set up an opportunity for photos with Santa in a helicopter at Langley Regional Airport, where the man himself dressed up as Santa Claus!

Another notable accomplishment of Dhadwar’s is his membership with the British Columbia Motorcycle Drill Team. He is the first Sikh rider in Canada to be part of the organization’s performance roster. The philanthropic entrepreneur’s charitable involvements also include his work with the Canadian Cancer Society, KidsPlay Foundation, and Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen. He is a regular donor to the Canadian Blood

Girls Fly Too, implementing annual events that are part of an outreach initiative meant to energize more females to discover the amazing opportunities available to them in Aviation, Aerospace, Marine & Defence and other STEM-based fields. Dhadwar is also involved with the 3300 BCR (Bhai Kanhaiya) Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps (RCACC) of Surrey, which is Canada’s first cadet corps sponsored by the Sikh community.

As is evident, whenever Dhadwar finds out about a community event, he gets involved in one way or another. Then, within a few months of getting associated with an organization, the eager community advocate ends up on an organizing committee of some sorts! What’s even more impressive is how Dhadwar has managed to involve youth. “About 30 youth of my kids’ age have been involved with me from Day 1 and they are all now serving the community in different ways. Youth community involvement keeps children from going down the wrong path, and also builds self-confidence along with skill sets in public relations,” elaborates Dhadwar.

The loving father of three takes pride in the support and community involvement he sees from

PICTURES COURTESY: AMARJIT DHADWAR

or fundraiser, his friends and family become his backbone and support system, volunteering their time in every and any way possible. As he was inspired by his father, Dhadwar finds purpose in setting an example for his children. Dhadwar recognizes that youngsters today are driven to create change in their communities, especially given the increase in communal awareness, thanks to social media. Dhadwar has noticed, over time, that planning charitable events has gotten much easier and faster given the evolution of technology. What once entailed getting people to individually commit for a date set far out in the future, can be accomplished seamlessly through one group message or a single online post.

For Dhadwar, the biggest motivation behind all his work is the impact he is able to make and the ripple effect his actions can potentially have. For the social worker, “me time” is defined as volunteerism. His passion for wanting to give back to the community is genuinely the fuel of his life. Sharing the secret to all that he does, Dhadwar reveals, “Be positive! Give time to your surroundings and don’t be a stranger to your neighbors. Last year, nobody really knew me in my new neighborhood. When it snowed, I shoveled others’ driveways along with my own and opened the door to new conversations. Now, my neighbors all know me and greet me with a friendly “Hello, Mr. Singh!” when they see me. It’s all about taking action - be it big or small. That’s how you make friends and build communities.”

Surely, a man of many talents, Dhadwar is a role-model locally and globally. A caring father, go-getter businessman, kind-hearted philanthropist, and encouraging leader are only a handful of titles to describe him. Yet, Dhadwar says, “The biggest reward, for me, is to be known as a volunteer.”

Teaching is the profession that teaches all other professions. As one of the most influential jobs in the world, not many professions touch as many people as teachers do. Shaping the future of our global ecosystem, teachers carry the important, shared responsibility of educating children and young adults. Fulfilling that responsibility, and beyond, with the utmost excellence and brilliance, is award-winning educator, mentorship facilitator, and community builder, Gurpreet Kaur Bains, who has been devotedly working in the field of education and community service for the past 23 years.

As the Modern Languages Department Head at Surrey’s LA Matheson Secondary School (LAM), she has actively collaborated with the Ministry of Education and the Museum of Surrey in developing South Asian curriculum and teaching resources. An Options Community Services’ 2022 Women of Options Gamechanger, she contributes and supports community programs and advocates for more youth resources. She has organized the annual Women Helping Women Fundraising Campaign to help women in transition homes since 2010. This year, Gurpreet was awarded the Surrey Now Community Leader Award, titled “Teacher of the Year”, for teaching excellence and community engagement. Previously, she has also been recognized by the City of Surrey with the Mayor’s Award for fostering civic responsibility and cultivating social justice and empowerment in Surrey’s youth in 2018. Shakti Society of BC has also honored her with a Teaching Excellence Award in 2016. What’s more is that Bains is a part of a core team

Excellence in Classroom & Beyond Gurpreet Kaur BAINS

CELEBRATING OVER 10 YEARS OF

SERVICE

selected by BCTF as a resource writer with Saffron Threads, a culmination of educational resources exploring South Asian Canadian culture, history, and heritage in the province.

Bains’ passion for teaching was embedded in her from a young age. Born and brought up in Punjab, she grew up in Amritsar, Punjab, and migrated to Canada in the 1990’s. The accomplished academic has earned a Master’s in Zoology (I), Bachelor’s in Education, and a Special Education Diploma from Simon Fraser University. Well-versed with the two different education systems of India and British Columbia (BC), she has lived the experiences of attending one as a student and is currently teaching in the other.

The caring educator grew up with a passion for learning and making a difference in the community. “The Sikh values of hard and honest work, selfless service to others influenced my pathway in life. I would always lend a helping hand to my peers and younger ones with schoolwork. Teaching also inspired me because I was taught by master teachers who were excellent role models for me. Their commitment, dedication, and kindheartedness attracted me to the profession,” shares Bains.

The impact of a teacher is lifelong, which Bains saw from day one. Education was always valued in her family and her father was the first person in his village to hold a master’s degree back in the 1970s; he later passed the Punjab Civil Services Exam (PCS) and retired as Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner with the Punjab government. Bains saw firsthand how the three-tiered education system in India reinforced social class and status, and elevated special privilege. Interestingly, her journey to Canada provided her the very oppor-

tunity to stand up for social justice causes and be a voice for all. Her loving family supported her desire to continue to grow and excel in her chosen field of education in Canada.

Married into a settler Punjabi pioneer family whose first ancestor came to Canada in 1906, Bains worked hard on bringing the hidden stories of Punjabi settlers to light in her classroom. Resources like 100 Year Journey by Rana and Rupa Vig, Untold Stories: The South Asian Pioneer experience in BC by Karen Dosanjh, and Duty, Honour & Izzat: From Golden Fields to Crimson - Punjab’s Brothers in Arms in Flanders by Steven Purewal are a few valuable resources that helped her achieve her goals.

Bains’ maternal grandfather also served in WWII and was a prisoner of war. Both her maternal and paternal families went through the Partition of India in 1947 as well. The Punjabi program at LAM created an opportunity to bring these stories of identity and history to the entire school population and mentorship program together, as students and teachers worked to re-create a more inclusive, less Eurocentric commemoration of Remembrance Day that reflected students’ and staffs’ personal stories and histories.

Over time, Bains’ love for teaching and learning has only grown. She credits her students, who motivate her to be a better teacher everyday. Bains elaborates, “There is always room for growth. Meeting new students and making a difference in their lives is what drives me to do my best. When students come back after graduation and share how my classes have made an impact, it keeps me driven and focused. Teaching is all about relationships. The most rewarding aspect of my job is to see students being successful and realizing their potential to be of service to others as they become contributing members of their communities.”

Today, while there are many projects that Bains can be proud of, the most memorable one for her is the Next 100 Years Mentorship Through Identity Program that she helps facilitate at local elementary schools in collaboration with Safe Schools. LAM students from Grade 10-12 help deliver workshops on various themes in elementary schools and help with the transition to high school. Jaclyn Blaney, Assistant Manager Safe Schools, Surrey School District, remarks, “Through the Next 100 Years program, Gurpreet’s ability to connect with students, some prior to them even entering the secondary school system, as well as schools and the greater community, supports in the sustainment of safe and caring school environments. She is open and supportive while putting out a strong call to action to honor themselves, their family and community in the next 100 years. Her care and dedication has inspired many and will continue to be seen in the legacy of her work.”

Another notable project of Bains is her involvement in establishing a prov-

There is always room for growth. Meeting new students and making a difference in their lives is what drives me to do my best. When students come back after graduation and share how my classes have made an impact, it keeps me driven and focused. Teaching is all about relationships. they become contributing members of their communities.”

ince-wide youth creative writing literary award for the Punjabi language, in collaboration with the Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature; winning student stories are published as anthologies and create literature for children by children. In addition, she is the teacher sponsor for a four-year fundraiser to support the creation of a long-term care facility for South Asian seniors, Guru Nanak Diversity Village, by the Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS); Bains and team has raised $11,271 so far, and counting.

Bains has further collaborated with Mustang Justice, the Kaur Collective, Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival, Shakti Society, Surrey School District Film and Speech festival, and the Indus Media Foundation. Recently, Bains represented the Surrey School District in California at Sikhlens: Sikh Arts & Film Festival 2022, where she helped launch the preview of Hidden Histories: Settler Pioneer Sikhs in Canada, a documentary co-produced by local historian and author, Karen Dosanjh, in collaboration with Chapman University and Sikhlens. The inspiring speaker expressed, as part of the Creative Sikhs Panel, the importance of diverse stories in our classroom and their power in mentoring our youth. Bains and two of her students are featured in the documentary, putting forth the stories of Punjabi settler pioneers in BC.

Bains and her students’ many classroom and community projects tie in to the LAM’s Punjabi Mustang program, which instills a sense of identity in students, igniting the spark to take ownership of language and connect to their roots. According to Bains, if students do not see themselves in textbooks and the schooling system overall, then their sense of belonging diminishes. As such, programs like these are much-needed propellants of multiculturalism.

Of course, the Punjabi Mustang program took proactive leadership and solid championing to implement. Despite being trained as a science teacher, when the opportunity to teach Punjabi classes at LAM came up, Bains happily embraced the opportunity. That said, she noticed that there was not enough funding and resources. It was a real struggle to get her hands on meaningful resources and have the funding to buy them. However, with time, the Surrey School District rose with support and the program grew. The Punjabi Language Education Association (PLEA) has also collaborated and connected educators. Surely, the support of the school has, above all,

been instrumental. The program at LAM became so successful that in 2019, Gurpreet was chosen to be the Keynote Speaker at the BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages Conference in Saanich, BC. She shared valuable resources, strategies, and mentorship with colleagues from all over the province using the Cultural Iceberg Model, a concept coined in 1976 by Edward T. Hall, who suggested that culture is analogous to an iceberg in that only about 10% of the iceberg is visible at any given time and that a large part of it is hidden beneath the surface. Bains has also served as the School Associate for SFU’s Teacher Education Program in the past and helped train some amazing educators who are now teaching in Surrey Schools.

Sunny Deol, the Principal of LAM, highlights, “Since my arrival at LAM as Principal, I have been constantly amazed by Preet’s passion around teaching our students. She is the epitome of a teacher that understands that teaching extends beyond the classroom. She not only teaches academic skills including Punjabi, Learning Support and Science in the classroom, but she teaches students the importance of being a good citizen.”

Shining light on the importance of teachers to be actively involved in the wider community, Bains reminds that it truly does take a village to teach a child. Since teaching does not take place in a vacuum, the community is a huge resource. Academic excellence is

also only meaningful when students are also community contributors. The community activist strongly believes that collaboration between educators and community stakeholders is vital in uplifting communities. Moreover, a parent whose children have been through the public education system, Bains reveals that she has gotten the unique experience of accessing behind-thescenes information which may not be visible otherwise. For example, teacher shortages, funding cuts, and the need for diversity and inclusion in the classrooms can be hard to understand, alongside how important parent involvement is for the success of children. Therefore, Bains often conducts workshops and holds talk shows that encourage more parental involvement in schools.

“Parents who know better, always do better. Language barriers and hesitation can be huge factors, too, and with changing dynamics, parents also need resources to be able to support their children in public schools. We can always start with awareness and creating welcoming environments, where parents feel comfortable,” suggests Bains.

For incoming teachers, Bains’ advice is simple, yet powerful. She urges teachers to make authentic relationships in classrooms, where students belong and are comfortable being themselves. A belief of Bains is that students must be connected to their communities for real-life experiences. This not only helps students realize their true potential, but also prepares them for life, not just high school or postsecondary institutions. Opportunities must be created for all students to feel successful and focus on the values of kindness and compassion - not just GPAs.

Baldeep Kaur Sahota, a LAM Grad 2023 says, “Mrs. Bains is an incredible teacher who takes her time to make sure her students are mentally and physically healthy. She takes the time to check in with everyone and is very flexible in meeting the needs of all students. Her door is always open if anyone needs help or guidance. She always comes in with positive energy and lifts everyone up.”

Undoubtedly, the genuine motivation that Bains has, to make the education system and the community a better place, only multiplies and amplifies through her students. A catalyst for change, she is successfully fueling important conversations in the public sphere that are producing evident, noteworthy results. Not only an exemplary teacher, Bains is a standing testament to how educators can shine as exceptional members of local and global communities.

Reel World & Real World Influencer

Tina Singh Meet

Parenting can be a juggling act. While the experience comes with infinite love and warm memories, it also brings along a never-ending to-do list. As such, when Tina Singh had her third baby, she soon realized that she was so busy day to day, she’d forget to capture the little moments that make parenthood so fulfilling. Her phone was filled with photos of just her kids, but not as many that included her. With a mission to document her parenting journey and create a video journal to someday show her children down the road, she decided to vlog her way through motherhood on her YouTube platform, now known as @TheTinaSingh. Fast forward to today, Singh wears many hats as a mom of three boys, social media content creator, occupational therapist, and the founder of Bold Helmets.

In 2007, Singh began practicing occupational therapy through her private practice, where she focused on providing assessment and treatment for those with acquired brain injury. It was in 2015 that she also started creating digital family content on YouTube. She has since expanded her content multifaceted topics and has even dipped her feet into the world of podcasting in 2019, via One Take With Tina, a podcast series in which she addressed heavier social issues such as human trafficking, racism, domestic violence, and mental health. As her platform grows through YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, over the years, she has worked with various brands to script, film, and edit content.

Through her work, Singh has always tried to normalize her family as a Canadian family. Everyone in her family is born and raised Canadian. That said, when it comes to

sharing her cultural identity as a Sikh or South Asian, Singh’s efforts have been to authentically ingrain these elements in her content, too. Whether it be enthusiastically celebrating Bandi Chorh Divas with fireworks or finding the perfect ornaments for the family Christmas tree, Singh covers it all. The mom boss is a believer of encouraging her children with positivity and leading with patience, when it comes to practicing religious and cultural aspects, including the Punjabi language. Her approachability as a person also translates to her vibe as an influencer; she considerately answers questions surrounding themes like being a first generation Canadian, teaching kids about religious holidays, and why she keeps her kids’ hair.

Of course, her social media content has a stellar supporting cast featuring her sons, Jora, Kabir, and Ajit. Singh’s husband, Her preet, is also her biggest champion. In fact, he was the first to hear about Singh’s latest entrepreneurial venture, Bold Helmets, a project through which Singh is developing and producing the first ever multisport helmets specifically designed for Sikh kids with joorhas or patkas, aged five and up. The helmets are safety certified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Singh elaborates, “I actually talked to my husband about Bold Helmets many years ago and he said it was a great idea. Then, we went quiet about it

for a while. When the kids got older, the lack of safety started hitting me since no helmets in the market fit them properly. I decided to take action and Bold Helmets was born. There has been no looking back since and friends and family have been beyond supportive!”

Given her background as an occupational therapist, Singh deeply understands the importance of a safe, well-fitting sports helmet. Although the idea of Bold Helmets was met with positivity in its development phase, there was also the question of whether there was a significant enough market for it. Singh notes that product development entails one step forward and five steps backwards. Alongside other challenges, it’s also pretty expensive. However, upon the product’s release, Bold Helmets has gotten an overwhelming amount of heartening, positive traction in the right direction and has become the talk of the town not just nationally, but also internationally. What’s also wholesome to see is that as Singh, the blossoming entrepreneur,

conducts media interviews on a busy Sunday morning, her partner-in-crime, Herpreet, shows up fully with his dad mode on and takes the kids out for breakfast to allow Singh to conduct business as needed. Truly, it’s a team effort and the solid family support is evident. Singh’s future vision for Bold Helmets involves offering products that can be used for any sport and any activity. Although she is currently a one-person team, the fearless trendsetter looks forward to potentially expanding her team eventually, so that she can continue to create products that support safety and inclusion.

Undoubtedly, a passion project that started with the thought of encapsulating her journey of motherhood and the story of her life is now entering the next phase for Singh. Excited to see how her story evolves as a result of this project, the busy bee takes a moment to remind herself and other mothers the importance of recognizing themselves as separate individuals, “Remember that your mental health matters. I remember feeling huge mom guilt when I’d take any trips in the past, but that guilt has mellowed down now. Having been a parent for 10 years, I can now recognize that it’s okay to take 72 hours out for myself without the kids. In fact, taking care of yourself means you’ll be a better you, and a better parent. It’s okay and it’s allowed. Our mothers and grandmothers may not always have had such opportunities, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have them either. Especially to South Asian moms in their 40s, I also say that you are never too old to take on something new. We can be who we are as individuals while still being parents.” Singh holds the utmost appreciation for her team of mom supporters, lovingly called the Marmy (mom army).

As her platform continues to reach new heights, the influencer turned businesswoman has also undergone tremendous growth and change herself. Although she only really realized the full-time potential of her business in recent years, she intentionally keeps herself grounded, keeping in mind inevitable fluctuations in the influencer market, her own influence as a professional, and as well as audience shifts. In addition to being close to her family and having the option to step away when needed, Tina wholeheartedly just loves the work she does for all the right reasons, and enjoys every second of it. Unquestionably, her passion shines through in every video release, every photo post, and, now, every Bold

SUCCESSfUL gOAL SETTINg for the Year Ahead

Every year many of us will set new goals for ourselves and have good intentions to improve our personal or professional life. It feels great to start off a new year and think about how we can enhance our lives and make meaningful change. It’s relatively easy to come up with a list of things we want to change, but it’s often difficult to set those goals into action. Goal-setting has its own set of criteria that we need to consider before jumping into implementation. Here are a few things we need to consider.

WhAT IS mY WhY?

Before we set any goal, we need to have buy-in as to why the change in habit or behaviour is necessary.  Consider how the goal will impact your physical, mental, social or financial health. Understanding your why builds motivation for the goal.

For example- reducing sugar will improve physical health by leading to less risk of diabetes and weight loss, improve mental health by less emotional eating and cravings and financial health by less money on desserts and snack foods.

WhAT ARE ThE DOWNSIDES Of ThE gOAL?

Ask yourself, if I achieve this goal, what will I lose? Many times we focus on what we will gain by achieving our goals, but we may also need to consider what sacrifices will be required in being successful.

For example - reducing sugar may make it hard for me to say no to sweets and socialize - especially during the South Asian wedding season!

SET S.m.A.R.T gOALS

SMART goals are ones that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-

bound. If goals are too general, unrealistic, vague or don’t have a timeframe it’s easy to lose focus and stay accountable. We have created a SMART goal worksheet that can be located on our website (Future-ready Minds,)

LEARN hOW TO USE YOUR bRAIN TO YOUR ADvANTAgE

Have you ever wondered why setting goals feels so good, but when we don’t accomplish them there is a sense of disappointment?  Any time we set a new goal our brain releases chemicals which give a rush of positive emotions and propel us towards action. However, if a problem arises, we get stuck in our thoughts and it becomes difficult to regulate our behaviour. The key to accomplishing goals is understanding how your brain works and how to motivate yourself for success. Often, personal or professional goals are based on changing habits. Changing a routine or pattern can be difficult to do without recognizing how our brains create new habits and what motivates them.  Once you’ve re-evaluated your goals to make sure they’re smart and explored the costs/benefits of changing you can then look at ways to use brain science to accomplish them. Here are a few tips on achieving your goals and why these things work.

Dr. Shimi Kang is an award-winning Harvard-trained medical doctor, researcher, and expert on science-based solutions for health, happiness, and achievement.

Dr. Kang is a practicing psychiatrist with over 20 years of experience. She is the author of the #1 bestseller The Dolphin Parent and The Tech Solution, a Clinical Associate Professor at UBC, the founder of Future-ready Minds, Co-Founder of Get Sparky app, and host of the YouTube show, Mental Wealth with Dr. Shimi Kang. She is a proud mom of three and the recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Leadership, and the Jubilee Medal for community service.

PICTURES COURTESY: ISTOCK, DR. SHIMI KANG & DR. JAS HUNDAL

DR. ShImI K ANg

PRImE YOUR bRAIN

Priming your subconscious can drastically affect your behaviour. To be more successful, create subconscious visuals to motivate yourself. If your goal for the year is to pay off debt, create a tracker that you can fill out each day and visually see your progress. Perhaps your goal is to exercise more. Create a vision board of all the workouts you want to try and the visual representation of success in your mind. Seeing these things, consciously and subconsciously, can prime our brains and create motivation.

fOCUS ON CREATINg A NEW ROUTINE

The thing with the human brain is that it loves routines. When it comes to goal-setting, we’re often trying to change a pre-existing routine. Want to be an early riser? That means changing an established routine and belief that you’re just “not a morning person.” If you turn your goal into a pattern or a habit, it will be far easier to accomplish. To do this, you have to convert a goal into a habit within your brain. This means moving it into a completely new location, from the subconscious lower brain to the conscious top brain. This can be as simple as changing a few variables like eating popcorn in a movie with your non-dominant hand.

REWARD YOURSELf

Make sure you set mini-goals along the way to measure progress. Say you plan to run a 10km race by the end of June can seem daunting on the days you struggle to run even one kilometre in under 30 minutes. Setting smaller goals within your resolutions will help you stay motivated, thanks to all of the mini celebrations that will excite you and motivate you to keep going. This method works because your brain gets rewarded  when you accomplish mini-goals, encouraging your brain to continue to the next milestone for the next reward.

Dr. Jas Hundal is a Registered Social Worker and the Clinical Director of Counselling at Future-ready Minds, She has her Masters of Social Work from the University of Victoria and a Certificate in Advanced Facilitation & Consultation from the Justice Institute of BC. In her career Dr. Hundal has worked predominantly with South Asian men and women, to provide essential services in the Punjabi language. She is trained in a range of therapeutic modalities and has worked diligently in the field of mental health and addictions since 2006. Dr. Hundal is passionate about helping members of her community learn ways to improve their mental health by using holistic and strength-based practices.

ChANgE

YOUR LOCATION.

Some say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. When it comes to accomplishing goals, if things aren’t going according to plan, try changing the technique or method of accomplishment. This change could be as simple as a new location. This location change can make it easier for your brain to learn a new habit or change a pre-existing one as it removes the familiar cues that cause the default routines.

Do you have a particular habit or routine that you’re finding difficult to overcome? Speaking with a professional can help. Perhaps you’re looking for a motivating way to unite your team before accomplishing company goals this year or create healthier habits for your children. Reach out to Future-ready Minds and we can work together to ensure you are successful in meeting your goals.

www.futureminds.com

info@futureminds.com

DR. jAS hUNDAL

What does it take to become the #1 Century21 agent in Canada? You might think the answer is to just sell lots of real estate. According to Harp Khela, you would be wrong – and as #1 in Canada and #7 in the world as of 2021, he should know.

Buying or selling property is a significant financial decision, carrying implications to multiple facets of one’s livelihood and professional life. The complexities, potential risks, and pitfalls, as well as skill required to navigate massive, commercial real estate deals become exponentially more difficult. It’s an area with few players and high stakes, where trust and relationships are often worth far more than the millions at stake in financial transactions. Commitment to people and commitment to relationships is what Harp credits as the source of his success.

In commercial real estate, it is critical to work with someone who looks beyond the bottom line and believes in fostering genuine connections. Such is the approach of Century 21’s, Harp Khela. His experience, expertise, and extensive connections in the market have been leveraged by massive players to transact hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate deals. As an agent of the Century 21 brokerage — one which boasts 14,000 offices globally across 86 countries — Harp has not only worked within Century 21 for almost two decades, but he has been recognized globally as a leading performer, at the top of the ranks of 147,000 agents around the world. One of Harp’s clients, Qualico’s

Vice President, Kevin Anderson notes, “In an ever evolving and competitive real estate land market, Harp has established himself as one of the top executors in the Fraser Valley. The patient, yet relentless focus he applies in his approach to any transaction is what has allowed him to deliver on some very complicated deals for Qualico. We are appreciative of our relationship with Harp and look forward to its continuation into the future.”

Growing up in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, Harp lived in Abbotsford and Langley for his childhood years. Harp’s parents were hardworking and humble – his father worked as a farmer with land between Surrey and Chilliwack, and also as a home builder and developer with a background in construction. Harp recalls, “As a young kid growing up on residential home sites, I’ve always had that connection to real estate. I’d travel with my dad and learn so much about the industry, and how to build long-lasting relationships with business and industry partners.” After high school, Harp began his undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Obtaining his real estate license soon after, Harp was 19 when he first started selling homes and condos.

A few years later, Harp moved to the small town of Vermillion, Alberta, in order to take over the family’s business interests. Here, he redeveloped a much-neglected 26-year old shopping center and turned it into a thriving hub for the community. During his time in Vermillion, Harp launched a grocery store

under the “Harp’s Family Foods” brand, as well as “Harp’s Beer & Liquor”. It was during this time that Harp started to appreciate the unique needs of the community and issues facing businesses  and the public. Recognizing the lack of large-scale development and land use expertise on the Municipal Council in Vermillion, Harp decided to run for election and offer his time and wisdom in public service. Despite a low population of South Asians in small-town Alberta, Harp earned the second highest votes in the election and was sworn in as Councillor of the Township of Vermilion — and all of this by the age of 24.

During his time in Vermillion, Harp sat on the Planning and Development Committee and Economic Development Committee, and attended numerous Provincial and Federal meetings, such as those with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA). During this time, Harp continued to serve on a British Columbia (BC) provincial board, called the BC Student Aid Appeal committee, which governed all funding appeals for student loans. By his mid-20s, Harp was running a significant commercial real estate property, growing, and managing a grocery store, serving on a municipal council, and engaging in committee work that required collaboration with Mayors and Councilors across the country.  Harp reflects, “These experiences were invaluable and I’m grateful I got to spend these years absorbing a wealth of knowledge in urban development, city planning, transporta-

I want to be known as the person who brought billions in investments into the Lower Mainland and made his partners incredibly successful. That will feel like success to me. Having a small hand in shaping the future of our communities is the goal.”

Sky-High Deals, Sky-High Success

Realtor Harp Khela

tion, roads, and community engagement.”   Towards the end of his term on Vermillion Council in early 2015, Harp transitioned back to British Columbia and married his wife, a lawyer at Hamilton Duncan Law Corporation. Harp’s return to the Lower Mainland saw the rapid acceleration of his real estate career, starting with residential sales, including farms in the Abbotsford area. As his performance grew, Harp began recognizing his specialized skills in larger commercial development, industrial, townhome, and high-rise properties. He remarks, “As affordability issues took hold in BC, the market shifted where young families and immigrants could only afford condos and townhouses. My clients were large-scale developers that needed land to meet the demand. So, I began brokering land that would then be developed into large-scale housing projects, from townhomes to high rises.”

Today, Harp continues to benefit from his unique capabilities of understanding both real estate development and municipality needs. Continuing to foster new relationships in the industry, Harp sits on the Downtown Surrey Business Improvement Association Board (DSBIA) and is also the Chair of the Nomination Committee. The DSBIA is an organization that builds partnerships for a future-ready, diverse, safe, and evolving downtown Surrey that is seen to be the place to invest, work, learn, live, and play. With the advent of the UBC campus, the long standing Simon Fraser University (SFU) campus, and Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) presence in downtown Surrey, Harp high-

In an ever evolving and competitive real estate land market, Harp has established himself as one of the top executors in the Fraser Valley. The patient, yet relentless focus he applies in his approach to any transaction is what has allowed him to deliver on some very complicated deals for Qualico.”

- Kevin Anderson VP, Qualico

lights, “The City of Surrey is delivering on its promise to attract investment, employment, and education. These are key to ensure that we can in fact ‘live and play’ in the region, and meet the needs of a growing community.”

In 2021, Harp was ranked #1 in Canada for Century 21, and #7 in the entire world. Not one to rest on his laurels, Harp sold eight high rise sites in the Fleetwood and City Centre area last year, with others soon to come. He was also the deal-maker behind all of Allure Venture’s land acquisitions and acts as the company’s primary acquisitions agent. Allure Venture’s CEO, Garry Sangha, elaborates, “In business, you are always seeking partners that understand your objectives and work creatively with you towards achievement.

I have always found that Harp was quick to understand where we wanted to go with the business and found us real estate solutions and opportunities that were attractive and actionable. It is unusual to find professionals like Harp who are so committed to your success and able to deliver the differentiating factor. His drive and experience ensures consistently exceptional outcomes.”

Ultimately, Harp focuses on developing deep relationships with a limited number of clients, selectively inviting new partners into his portfolio every year. In fact, Harp’s growing team is currently serving a small

group of exclusive clients, helping them make a massive impact by crafting growth strategies for the next decade and beyond. Taking into account every city’s Official Community Plan (OCP), Harp is able to pair municipal needs and land availability with developer interests and community opportunities. It’s because of this strategic and focused approach that all of Harp’s deals are transacted entirely off-market. According to Harp, “You don’t need to advertise it to the world if you can just bring the right people to the table and work out a deal.”

Harp’s relationships with his clients are not purely transactional, but have a longterm vision, based on trust that is earned over time. Harp’s client Todd Yuen, Industrial President of Beedie, has experienced firsthand the commitment to steer his clients in the right direction over multiple years, “Harp takes a lot of time to actually do his homework. When he brings you an opportunity he’s already researched all of the critical elements of the project and has applied a clear, unbiased and objective lens to his analysis. Harp doesn’t just try to find an angle to sell something to you. Instead, he makes his own determination as to whether or not the acquisition is worth pursuing and only then, does he bring it forward.”

Acting as a conduit for the Lower Mainland, Harp is currently expanding his network to the United States, Dubai, India, Hong Kong, and Singapore in order to showcase the opportunities in BC’s lucrative market. The Lower Mainland area, especially Surrey-Langley, is often overlooked internationally. However, accelerating immigration numbers and an increasingly constrained housing market is creating a huge gap in the region – a gap he intends to fill by developing relationships with the right people and even finding new, international partners to enter the market.

In business, you are always seeking partners that understand your objectives and work creatively with you towards achievement. I have always found that Harp was quick to understand where we wanted to go with the business and found us real estate solutions and opportunities that were attractive and actionable. It is unusual to find professionals like Harp who are so committed to your success and able to deliver the differentiating factor. His drive and experience ensures consistently exceptional outcomes.”

- Garry Sangha CEO, Allure Ventures

Harp takes a lot of time to actually do his homework. When he brings you an opportunity he’s already researched all of the critical elements of the project and has applied a clear, unbiased and objective lens to his analysis. Harp doesn’t just try to find an angle to sell something to you. Instead, he makes his own determination as to whether or not the acquisition is worth pursuing and only then, does he bring it forward.”

- Todd Yuen, Industrial President, Beedie

For 2023, Harp stresses the importance of investors having the right team, proper education, connections with trustworthy bankers, and consideration of information provided by cities. He suggests that having the right realtors helps investors navigate dynamic market trends, “There are always opportunities in the market. It’s all about uncovering what is best for each client. In 2023, the challenge is going to be interest rates and navigating the difficulties of accessing capital. However, the landscape is shifting from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market. Negotiations that once felt odd because of high demand will now be the norm, creating really favorable terms for buyers.”  Harp further reveals that although there may be downward pressure on pricing and the market, the drive to purchase more land is largely driven by each developer’s specific needs and deal terms. Large scale proj-

ects coming online in 5, 10, or 20 years will continue to have persistent demand for land acquisition.

Looking to the future, Harp reaffirms his commitment to relationships above all else, “I never liked the idea of having a revolving door of low-value projects, and tense relationships with people who weren’t interested in mutual growth. I want everyone to win. I’m cultivating a garden, filled with the fruits of my work and relationships, where I can invite new partners in and find ways for everyone to succeed. I want to be known as the guy who brought billions of dollars of investments into the Lower Mainland and made his partners incredibly successful. That will feel like success to me. Having a small hand in

OFFICE: 604-220-6868

Email: Admin@HarpKhela.com www.HarpKhela.com

DREAM CLUB

Spreading Joy, Smiles & Hopes

There is a popular saying —“We don’t need to have deep pockets or be rich to help the needy, the poor and the hungry, all we need is a heart!”

Well, a big heart and boundless passion for making a difference in the lives of less-fortunate people define Akash Sandipog, one of the founding members of a blossoming NGO — Dream Club.

While most of the ‘Gen Z’ is often busy Instagramming, tik-tokking, and worrying about the number of their followers, this 24-year-old and his bunch of school friends (Aniket Boghade, Jayesh Dighe, Fastrack Pawan, Pratesh Sandipog, Pranit, Priya, Malika, Priti, Priyanka to name a few) strive each day to spread joy and smiles through their NGO.

Until 2019, Akash too was living like any other young lad his age, however, a life-threatening accident transformed him and completely changed his perspective on life. “In 2019, I met with a life-threatening accident; I could have died then. Before this accident, I would do my small bit of charity in whatever ways possible, but after that accident, I truly understood the real meaning of life. I realized that life is too short and anything can happen to you anytime.

So, it is better to do something nice while you still can,” reveals Akash, who also works as a site supervisor with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Post the life-transforming accident, Akash and his school friends got together and pledged to spend their free time doing something for society and thus was born — The Dream Club. A selfless initiative, purely driven by the idea of giving back to society, the NGO’s motto is pretty simple — Be a good human, without no reason, and each member of the NGO religiously follows this motto. “We don’t come from any rich background. But we all wanted to do something. So, instead of celebrating our birthdays in

By Shweta Kulkarni

restaurants and spending money there, we began celebrating our birthdays and other joyous occasions by donating and providing meals to orphanages,” explains Akash.

He further adds, “We first distributed snacks at the Little Angel Ashram in Madh. That is how we started. Soon, my friends and I started going there regularly to teach the kids and started conducting various activities with them. We started spending all our free time with the kids there, and it was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. We started enjoying ourselves so much that we made a pact that whenever we want to meet, we should meet at some children’s home or ashrams, and spend time there instead by doing Sewa in whatever ways we can.”

Initially, Dream Club was funded by Akash and some of his friends only. They would set aside a sum from their salaries every month and buy school books, snacks, clothes, and food supplies and distribute it at various orphanages and homes for the differently abled. Eventually, after seeing their admirable work on social media, other donors joined and slowly Dream Club’s activities started expanding. Today Dream Club is associated with several orphanages, old-age homes, and homes for dif-

Our family is here when you need help with yours.

The breakdown of a relationship is often the most challenging and emotional experience that any of us will endure. Navigating the hurt and the conflict is hard enough without also having to navigate the legal system alone. That’s where we come in.

The breakdown of a relationship is often the most challenging and emotional experience that any of us will endure. Navigating the hurt and the conflict is hard enough without also having to navigate the legal system alone. That’s where we come in.

At Hamilton Duncan, our family law team consists of a team of dedicated lawyers like Preet Gill who are deeply committed to delivering the highest quality family law services with compassion, patience and understanding and who have collectively spent decades in courtrooms and in boardrooms helping our clients overcome legal challenges in their most trying times.

Our family law services include:

At Hamilton Duncan, our family law team consists of a team of dedicated lawyers like Preet Gill who are deeply committed to delivering the highest quality family law services with compassion, patience and understanding and who have collectively spent decades in courtrooms and in boardrooms helping our clients overcome legal challenges in their most trying times.

• Separation and divorce

• Child custody, guardianship and parenting arrangements

Our family law services include:

• Child support, spousal support and property division

• Negotiation, mediation and other alternative dispute resolution

• Separation and divorce

• Child custody, guardianship and parenting arrangements

• Litigation, arbitration and innovative conflict resolution

• Child support, spousal support and property division

• Negotiation, mediation and other alternative dispute resolution

• Cohabitation, prenuptial and property agreements

• Litigation, arbitration and innovative conflict resolution

• Cohabitation, prenuptial and property agreements

Hamilton Duncan is proud to have served Surrey for more than 60 years, and there is a reason that we are the Fraser Valley’s preeminent law firm. To find out how Preet and the rest of our family law team can assist with your family matter, reach out to:

Preet Gill

Associate - Family Law

Hamilton Duncan is proud to have served Surrey for more than 60 years, and there is a reason that we are the Fraser Valley’s preeminent law firm. To find out how Preet and the rest of our family law team can assist with your family matter, reach out to:

604.580.4791 � pxg@hdas.com

Preet Gill Associate - Family Law

604.580.4791 � pxg@hdas.com

Our family is here when you need help with yours.

ferently abled children across Mumbai. Dream Club has also been awarded the TAMAS ICONIC AWARD 2022 for its commendable work.

Speaking about Dream Club’s activities, Akash says, “Our objective with Dream Club was pretty clear. We wanted to help the one in need and spread joy to as many people as possible. We began connecting with other orphanages, old-age homes, and homes for differently abled children and started identifying their requirements. Like some were in desperate need of a washing machine or bedding or books for kids, so we reached out to people in our groups, people who after seeing our posts had shown interest to help and started raising

funds to provide the necessities needed by these places. Often there have been times that we all friends only have chipped in to get the stuff. But today, touchwood, we have many generous people who have joined our group and shown a willingness to help always.”

Today, Dream Club has a decent database of donors, who have become the NGO’s strong support system.

One of the core activities of Dream Club is to celebrate special occasions with children from orphanages and old-age homes. “After seeing us celebrate our birthdays and other joyous occasions with these kids and at old-age homes, a lot of people started connecting with us to do the same on their birthdays

or their kid’s birthdays. So, our team then takes these people to various orphanages and homes that we are connected with today and help these people experience the joy of giving. It is a wonderful experience,” says Akash. “Sometimes Dream Club receives food, books, ration, blankets, and clothes from various donors. In that case, we identify who needs what the most and accordingly distribute it amongst them. Often, we even head to the streets and give food and toys to the kids there or distribute ration in slums.”

Hailing from a low-strata of society himself, Akash is well aware of the struggles a middle-income group face for survival. Hence, Dream Club is also actively involved in providing necessities to them as well. What’s truly praiseworthy is the fact that despite working a 9-5 job, Akash and his friends always find the time for their activities at the Dream Club NGO. “Work is a part of life, but what you do beyond that is what matters,” says Akash wisely. He adds, “Be it spending quality time at old-age homes, providing meals to the children and at the orphanages, playing games with them, teaching them… the joy that we get by just giving our time is unparalleled.” This young and enthusiastic group was working tirelessly during the pandemic as well, distributing food and other supplies to the ones in need.

Ask Akash who is his inspiration to selflessly keep striving for bettering the lives of others. He smiles and says, “My mom — Annamma Sandipog. She is also mad,” he says jokingly, before continuing. “I have never seen a more compassionate and giving soul than hers. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t come from any fancy background. We used to stay in slums. My mom was the only earning member of the house and even then, at that time, she had adopted three kids. One of them is a chef today and two of my adopted sisters are still studying. Often, she would even give away things meant for us to other less fortunate people… She is something else. So, without a doubt she is my inspiration, she is my hero. She has introduced me to the act of giving selflessly.”

Talking about the plans for Dream Club, Akash says excitedly, “We want to continue doing what we do – spread smiles and joy, also, we are considering starting something related to education. There are so many young graduates in our city who are jobless and on the other hand, many street kids and slum kids are deprived of a good education. So, we at Dream Club are planning to employ these graduates to teach the street and slum kids. We had discussed this idea with a trust in Spain, who had come down recently, so let’s see how that goes. Meanwhile, Dream Club’s permanent plan is to keep doing good work, help the ones who are in need, and spread smiles.” As an afterthought, he adds, “We hope more and more people realize the joy of giving and spend time and a little money for these kinds of causes. The world will be a much better place then.”

Well, we couldn’t agree more. May he and his tribe rise.

You can also support Dream Club and their mission by joining its community on social media, spreading awareness about the work they do or by making a donation. Visit their Instagram handle: @dreamclub_n_g_o

Founded by Family, Powered by Legacy

“Legacy”

is a powerful word, for the Parmar brothers of Eco-Giants Construction Cleaning & Janitorial, legacy is at the core of their organizational philosophy. Gary and Jesse Parmar carry forward their beloved family business and aspire to leave a positive impact on their community and clients. From helping their parents hands-on in their school days, to now opening business offices in Surrey, Calgary, and soon Toronto, Gary and Jesse have experienced quite the journey. For this legacy, they credit their parents.

Sukhwinder Kaur Parmar and Talwinder Singh Parmar (parents of Gary and Jesse), broke into the cleaning industry in the 1990s. They’d clean everything from apartment condos to medical offices. During this time, young Gary and Jesse would accompany

them as childcare was not affordable and the couple could use the extra helping hands. Although eventually often judged for being young businessmen, the siblings undeniably garnered valuable experience at a young age. While both admit to having viewed the business negatively in the beginning, their views have since changed. Gary recalls, “I remember, while fulfilling a cleaning contract with my parents, we bumped into some teammates that my brother had played football with just the week before. They poked fun at us, telling us we had “missed a spot”. Growing up, we missed the opportunity to attend many special occasions such as birthday parties, summer holidays, even Christmas. Moreover, people would tell our parents that their kids wouldn’t ever amount to anything

and that they would only be “just cleaners”. Today, when I sit in my office, I proudly say that, yes, we are cleaners. However, with this business, we’ve been able to educate ourselves, grow financial stability, and make smart and calculated investments. We have grown and are able to genuinely appreciate and realize the sacrifices our parents made.”

Sukhwinder and Talwinder themselves may have struggled in the beginning, but Gary and Jesse remind the world that it is through the cleaning business that their parents were able to withstand two recessions and purchase a home in Surrey. Gary and Jesse emphasize that service-oriented businesses, cleaning included, truly build our economy and shouldn’t be looked down upon. The Eco-Giants co-owners further encourage

young adults to remember that family businesses are a labor of love.

That said, Gary and Jesse didn’t always have such a positive outlook. In 2009, their mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Despite the harsh chemotherapy treatments and the inevitable emotional turmoil, she continued to work, even if it meant heading to a cleaning contract right after finishing a chemotherapy session. Embodying pure strength, she never took a day off. Her cancer came back in 2011 and once again aggressively in 2013, after which the family lost Sukhwinder.

Following her passing, Talwinder and his sons continued with the business, but there were just too many memories associated with the company. Soon after, the Parmars made the decision to close down the company. After venturing off to experiment with other career paths, in 2016, Gary and Jesse decided to try again, with their minds and hearts fully on board. This time, they’d immerse themselves not just in the janitorial space, but bring to life their vision of becoming the “Rolls-Royce” of construction cleaning. Though their mother and father may not have been physically present, Gary and Jesse fell heir to their gifts of resilience, perseverance, and inspiration.

Don’t take your parents for granted. You should tell them you love them everyday. Take advantage of the time you have with them. We also hang on to memories by staying in this business. Remember, at the end of the day, they’re doing it for you.”

Jesse explains that their differentiating factor as a company lies in their staff power, “It’s not just about getting the work done, but also about hiring the right people. Although there can be a stigma when it comes to treatment of cleaning companies’ staff, we don’t take advantage of our workers. Our priority is our employees. We are just as strong as our force. That’s why, even if we have just a 3-hour notice, we’ll be there first, delivering the fastest service and providing the best quality.”

Eco-Giants has been successful at retaining clientele. The company has secured some of the biggest sites in major cities across Canada, thanks to an eco-friendly, simple system that offers consistent pricing and quality. Furthermore, steering through obstacles is an acquired and honed skill set for Gary and Jesse. Gary remembers securing a project with Surrey Memorial Hospital, the very place his mother was being treated, he mentions,

As our parents have taught us, treat people with dignity and respect, do good and good will be returned to you. As for our company, we work hard and with honesty. The fruits of our labor will continue to grow.”

- Jesse Parmar Vice President

provinces of Canada. In the next five years, Eco-Giants’ goal is to enter the United States of America. Though Gary and Jesse’s father also passed away in 2019, both parents would have been beaming with pride today looking at their boys’ success. Alongside their parents, the brothers are heartily thankful for their maternal uncle, Kamaljit Chauhan, in Ontario, who has been a significantly influential role-model and has guided them in the right direction in life and business.

“When negotiating a new contract, I have no fear because I feel like I’ve gone through the worst of the worst already. I put my head up just as much as the competition or the client. I try to educate people and try to make them understand our perspective. People may know how to manage a project, but they have no idea the intricacies of cleaning a building. We do have to put our foot down occasionally, we’re strict and this allows our performance to speak.”

Learning early on from the do’s and don’ts that their parents exemplified, Gary and Jesse invest in top-tier staff, training and products. Eco-Giants’ non-solvent cleaners get the job done well but don’t damage property, nor leave residues that may otherwise pose long-term health risks. Though projects range in size and duration, no job is too big or too small for Eco-Giants. That’s why the company customizes each project based on their client’s unique needs.

Surely, what was once a small business is now on its way to becoming a business empire all set to operate in three major

Gary shares, “Don’t take your parents for granted. You should tell them you love them everyday. Take advantage of the time you have with them. We also hang on to memories by staying in this business. Remember, at the end of the day, they’re doing it for you.” To amplify the impact of their parents on the community, Gary and Jesse have started “The Sukhi and Tom Foundation”, a noble non-profit committed to financially helping underprivileged organizations and individuals. Whether it be a scholarship for a full year of sports training or a team-based jersey sponsorship, the foundation strongly believes in providing donations and support to those in need.

As for Eco-Giants, the sky is truly the limit for this business of passion. With dreams in their eyes and purpose in their hearts, the two fearless leaders are on a mission to spread their wings of steel. Jesse sums up their strategy best, “As our parents have taught us, treat people with dignity and respect, do good and good will be returned to you. As for our company, we work hard and with honesty. The fruits of our labor will continue to grow.”

Contact Us: 604.362.9162

12 – 8456 129A Street, Surrey, BC V3W 1A2 info@ecogiants.com

- Gary Parmar President / CEO

Sukhwinder Kaur & Talwinder Singh Parmar

Entrepreneurial Spirit Personified Pavan Aujla

Be it on the field or behind the scenes, Pavan Aujla has redefined entrepreneurship in more ways than one. From founding her own mortgage business in the private space of commercial and real estate lending, to kickstarting Tera Terra Helping Hands Society Aujla that aims to be the socio-economic bridge between minorities, Aujla is an exemplary community activist, inspirational role-model, and a reputable, trusted industry professional.

From a young age, the curious go-getter was fascinated by money because of her humble upbringing. In school, studious Aujla studied the psychology behind decision making and became well-versed with consumer behavior, which put her at an advantage as she entered the workforce. Aujla’s professional journey in the financial industry officially began in 2004 with the Bank of Montreal (BMO). She garnered experiences in the arenas of personal and commercial banking, account management, lending, and financing, following which she switched jobs to work for a mutual funds company, where major banks were her clients and all of western Canada her territory. “Especially in 2008, being a young, colored woman was a challenge. I truly had to build those relationships, strategically steer high-level conversations, and win that trust and business,” shares Aujla.

Fast forward to today, Aujla carries experience from all facets of finance, such as the world of Real Estate Investment Trusts, having helped fund large developments in financing projects across Canada. Truly embodying the entrepreneurial spirit, Aujla has excelled in the marketing industry as well, having worked for high-profile artists in the Punjabi film industry and Hollywood. Made possible through her esteemed media and celebrity network connections, her marketing company has literally taken her around the world. With such a diverse set of rich experiences, Aujla is now working full-force and thriving in the financial industry, through her brainchild, Autarky Capital Corporation, founded in 2020. Aujla is an Accredited Mortgage Professional, part of the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association (CMBA); she holds access to lenders around North America. What’s more is that there is a noble cause being supported via the blooming business; a portion of proceeds from approved deals of Autarky Capital Corporation, go towards her non-profit organization, Tera Terra Helping Hands Society.

Talking about the motivation to step foot into the commercial side of the mortgage space, the finance wiz shines light on her company’s unique offerings, “My niche is my deep understanding of the exempt markets. I can help accredited investors by guiding them towards more secured investments such as hedge funds, REITs and MICs, and offer developers an alternative with equity investors, therefore helping where banks and alternative lenders cannot. These investments thrive during market downturns, so it’s an alternative method of investing and holding equity stakes in large developments.” Exhibiting excellence in her profession, Aujla has been nominated for the Canadian Mortgage Awards for Commercial Mortgage Broker of the Year 2022!

Aujla understands that people can often find themselves in desperate situations when it comes to mortgages. That said, the experienced businesswoman points out that, in any industry, companies seldomly think about clients and are often more focused on business profits. With karma on top of mind, Aujla differentiates herself by putting her clients first. For mortgage-seekers, her advice entails the following three tips:

1. Do your research on the mortgage broker. For health, you’ll go to different doctors and everyone may have different opinions. Similarly, your finances are a huge investment; these are your life’s work and savings. Talk to at least a few brokers. Work with someone you trust and ensure that they are credible.

2. Consult with your accountant for tax implications.

3. You’ll hear a lot of mortgage brokers say “we’ll get it done”. Don’t put yourself in a position of risk by falsifying documents that can easily get exposed during renewals. Be wary of mortgage brokers who are jeopardizing client’s and their own well-being. Don’t fall into mortgage fraud.

Aside from Aujla’s professional prowess, what wins hearts is Aujla’s desire to help others. Fueled by the desire to take forward Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s legacy, Aujla founded Tera Terra Helping Hands Society with the aim of encouraging society to live as a collective. Given Canada’s multicultural fabric, Aujla saw a need to enhance the quality of service to our communities and to create a safe environment for people to flourish given the right opportunity and support, especially international students and Indigenous peoples.

Tera Terra Helping Hands Society also raises funds in order to be prepared for any crisis in our province, and has been recognized by Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen and Guru Nanak

Food Bank, coming full-circle with its inceptive mission. Tera Terra Helping Hands Society is proud to be aligned with Guru Nanak Food Bank and will continue supporting such an amazing cause.

Aujla elaborates, “With the trickle down effect, we need to eliminate prejudices, decrease racism, and provide education and knowledge. With an action as simple as placing a deserving person in the right job or providing emergency relief where it is needed, we are strengthening our national ecosystem.” Aujla also volunteers with the Angels in the Night Homeless Shelter Project, through which mortgage brokers and lender partners hit the streets in cities across Canada to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate.

Further encompassing the essence of building socio-economic bridges is Aujla’s involvement as ‘Indian Community Outreach Canada’, through which she is assisting the WOJ Innovations and Tech International team in co-creating Silicon Valley North through a 3-step program; this idea is aligned with the Government of BC’s vision of an emerging tech hub and economic growth for BC. One of the steps is to introduce a tech curriculum based on WOJ Pedagogy, established by Esther Wojcicki, co-founded by Amit Hooda, and developed in the WOJ Ecosystem, which includes Google and the University of California, Berkeley. The program helps highly skilled tech talent to secure high paying jobs within the worldwide ecosystem. Aujla points out, “Just like doctors cannot learn just by reading textbooks, tech talent cannot become highly skilled without hands-on experience, which Esther’s pedagogy provides.”

In terms of her future vision, Aujla dreams of scaling up her many community involvements, including taking her non-profit, Tera Terra Helping Hands Society, to a national level. In tandem with her passion to genuinely help others in the commercial mortgage space, Aujla’s impact on society is unbounded. Her story is a testament to her entrepreneurial spirit, agility, and groundedness - adjectives that not only describe her working style, but also Aujla’s exceptional personality. With a mind of steel and heart of gold, Aujla is a catalyst for positive change and a true community gem.

With the trickle down effect, we need to eliminate prejudices, decrease racism, and provide education and knowledge. With an action as simple as placing a deserving person in the right job or providing emergency relief where it is needed, we are strengthening our national ecosystem.”

7

Smart Tips To Keep Your New Year’s Resolution

By Shweta Kulkarni

New Year’s resolution is a perfect start to the new year, here are a few tips to help you follow through and make this year’s resolution stick.

It is 2023 already, and needless to say, the start of every new year is always marked with our enthusiasm to kick start new things with phrases like ‘a fresh start’, which is probably why so many of us make New Year’s resolutions. Indeed, a new year always presents itself as a great opportunity to work on our bad habits, set new goals and establish new routines that can contribute to our overall growth — personally, physically, intellectually, socially, emotionally and professionally. However, while our eagerness to make and keep up with resolutions is at its peak at the beginning of the new year, as weeks pass by our gusto slowly starts to fizzle out and we fall back into our old patterns, thus abandoning our resolutions despite our good intentions. In fact, according to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, it is found that the majority of people quit their resolutions within two weeks into the new year, whereas only 19% of people manage to stick to their goals. So, how to ensure that you succeed with your New Year’s resolutions? Well, we have put down a list of a few tried and tested tips to help your resolution stick this year. Read on.

Be Realistic & Set Achievable Goals

One of the primary reasons why many fail to continue with their new year’s resolutions is that they often set lofty resolutions. Setting unattainable goals is the surest way to fail. Instead strive for an achievable goal, like a SMART goal. Often used in the business lexicon SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely and is applied to set doable goals. This principle pretty much can be applied to many New Year’s resolutions like eating healthy food, saving money, exercising, and starting a new hobby, as well. For

example, instead of resolving to completely give up on sugar, you can strive to limit your sugar intake as much as possible or instead of simply saying you will exercise regularly, stick to a 30 minutes exercise a routine couple of times a week to kick start your workout journey. So, focus on something more concrete and doable, the idea is to make your goal more realistic rather than drastic.

Focus On One Goal At A Time

As we set new year’s resolutions, it’s important to focus on one goal at a time. Trying to tackle too many things at once can lead to stress and frustration, which can make it difficult to stick to your resolution in the long haul. Instead, set a small goal and work on it until it’s accomplished. This will ensure that you are focusing on your efforts and make it easier to track your progress. Psychologists say that achieving even one small goal can boost your belief in yourself. Once this goal is achieved, you can set a new one and keep the momentum going. Likewise, for bigger goals, consider breaking them apart into small tasks to work on one at a time. It is daunting when you set too many goals at once and makes it harder to stay focused. So, this year, make sure to stay focused on one goal at a time and see how seamlessly you achieve your resolution!

Be Ready For Change

Although change is always happening, it is a tough nut to crack, especially when it comes to your new year’s resolutions. In fact, one of the top reasons that hold people back from achieving their goals is that people are not ready to adapt to the change in lifestyle or behaviour. Understanding that change is important to achieve your goals and preparing yourself for that change will help you work towards your resolution better. When you are ready for a change, you can embrace it and make the most of the opportunities it brings. Even if you make a misstep or two, you will have taken the first step towards being ready for change. Change can be daunting, but with the right mindset, it can also be incredibly rewarding. So go ahead make a resolution this year and prepare yourself for the great changes that are coming your way.

Keep A Resolution Journal

Studies show that you are more likely to achieve your goals if you have a written record of what they are. Seeing your goals in writing can help to motivate you and keep you on

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track. Hence keeping a resolution journal, where you write about your goals, and track your progress, struggles and success with it can be helpful. Dr Kloubec says. “Honest reflection can help you to see how you may be sabotaging yourself or to recognize patterns of behaviour.” Each week, take some time to reflect on what you have accomplished and what still needs to be done. This will help you to stay focused and motivated. A resolution journal can be a great way to hold yourself accountable and increase your chances of success. So, why not give it a try?

Reward Your Small Achievements

We understand that sticking by your longterm goals isn’t a cakewalk, but what nudges you to continue with your resolution process is your ability to celebrate smaller successes along the way. Recognizing and rewarding your small accomplishments will keep you motivated and help you stay on track with your resolution for the year. One way to do it is to set a reward system for yourself. However, this doesn’t mean you gobble down an entire packet of chips, especially if your resolution is to adopt a healthier habit, instead treat yourself to something that you enjoy and which doesn’t interfere with your resolution. For example, after a dedicated two weeks workout session at the gym, reward yourself with new fitness clothes, a good book, new music or a movie.

Don’t Be Too Harsh On

It is human to make mistakes, hence it is important to remember that an occasional slip is absolutely okay. One misstep shouldn’t undo all the efforts you put in towards your goal. Take each day at a time, and do your best. Don’t be too harsh on yourself, mistakes are a part of the process so don’t spend days feeling guilty. Rather learn from your mistakes and avoid repeating them. According to a survey, it is reported that people who succeeded in maintaining their resolution often had that occasional slip but instead of giving up, they grew more determined to pursue their goal.

Believe in Yourself

Lastly, remember that nothing can be achieved in life until and unless you believe in yourself and your capabilities. If you want to achieve your new year’s resolution, then believe that you are capable of accomplishing your goals. You need to be confident about yourself, to make things happen.

Glow Langley

The most anticipated holiday event of the season kicked off in Langley. At Glow Langley, guestsexperienced a family-friendly outdoor Christmas festival with towering light gardens and magical landscapes all under the magic of more than a million lights. Attractions included a kids scavenger hunt, food trucks, a holiday train ride, pictures with Santa and a meet and greet with princesses and a giant warmed tent space with live performances and delicious holiday beverages.

Dejardins Financial Security Independent Network

The Dejardins Financial Security Independent Network Excellence Awards took place on January 7, 2023. DFSIN continued its tradition by recognizing the hard work and dedication of all its employees. Thus a special evening was organized in their honour.

Concord Pacific

Darpan Cruiser In Your City was at Concord Pacific Developments Inc’s Metrotown Centre Concord Pacific Metrotown Centre to celebrate their “Homes for the Holidays” promotion launch. The event showcased several real estate projects for Burnaby, Surrey, and Richmond, highlighting unique features of the various buildings.

Consulate General India Vancouver

Consulate General of India in Vancouver hosted an annual get together of mainstream ethnic media from the Vancouver area. Discussions focused on Govt of India’s achievements and policies, India’s G20 Presidency, AKAM & Consulate activities, trade, and investment opportunities, bilateral developments and the role of the Indian diaspora at large.

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PHOTOS COURTESY: DFSIN

PHOTOS COURTESY: DARPAN MAGAZINE

PHOTOS COURTESY: DARPAN MAGAZINE

PHOTOS COURTESY: DARPAN MAGAZINE

By Shweta Kulkarni

Mood disorders, anxiety and depression are very common today and surprisingly one of the root causes for it is nutritional deficiencies. Read below to know how improper nutrition can impact your mental health.

Ever experienced a strange unexplained moodiness and sadness? Or noticed a sudden lack of energy and drop in motivation?

Well, you may not be in need of any mood-uplifting antidepressants, rather it could be that you are missing out on some essential nutrients. One can’t refute the fact that food plays a crucial role when it comes to our mental health, yet far too often we overlook the importance of proper nutrition in favour of quick, convenient meals that offer little in the way of nutritional value. From Omega-3 fatty acids to iron, a lack of certain vitamins and minerals can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. Hence, taking the time out to identify and address our nutritional deficiencies can be an important step towards improving our mental health and overall well-being. Here’s a look at some of the important nutritional deficiencies that could be impacting your mental health and mood.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are known to reduce inflammation and play a crucial role in proper brain functioning. Studies have shown that dietary deficiencies of omega-3 fatty acids can not only cause anxiety but also increase the risk of developing various psychiatric disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism. So, what’s the best way to ensure that you don’t fall short on this essential mineral? Well, load your plates with fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines whenever possible. Vegetarians don’t need to stress, as these healthy fats can be found in walnuts, flaxseed and chia seeds as well.

Iron

The role of iron in our physical health is well established, however, its role in our mental health is increasingly becoming evident now. While iron is needed for the production of red blood cells and regulating oxygen transport around the body and to the brain, it also helps to create feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine. An iron deficiency can lead to symptoms similar to depression, and extremely low energy levels. Hence it is important to keep your iron levels up-to-date. And what better way to do that than by consuming more iron-rich foods such as spinach, pumpkin seeds and tofu. It’s important to note that iron from plant-based foods is not as easily absorbed as that found in meat, so vegans and vegetarians may need to take a supplement. However, do consult your doctor before starting any supplements.

Amarpal Singh

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Folate

Folate is a B vitamin that is needed for the production of neurotransmitters, the chemicals in the brain, which play a vital role in regulating our mood and energy levels. Then obviously a folate deficiency can affect your mental health and mood and increase the risk of depression and anxiety. Again food is the key to maintaining proper folate levels in the body. Folate is found in foods such as spinach, broccoli, asparagus, avocado, and eggs. A lot of the foods that contain folate are also high in saturated fat. This means that people who are on a low-fat diet may have to take an extra supplement.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is renowned for providing some incredible health benefits, including maintaining a healthy nervous system. A deficiency of Vitamin B12 can cause neurological and psychiatric problems, which can further lead to irritability, changes in personality, depression, and memory loss. Low levels of Vitamin B12 can also worsen depression and anxiety issues. Vitamin B12 is found in foods such as salmon, liver, eggs, and fortified cereals. Vitamin B12 is not absorbed as well from plant-based foods, which means that vegans and vegetarians may need to supplement with a higher dose.

Zinc

If you are facing strange and sudden mood swings, chances are you have a Zinc deficiency. Zinc is a mineral, which is crucial for our immune system and the health of our nervous system. Clinical studies have found that patients suffering from depression have low zinc levels and low levels of this mineral are one of the primary causes of clinical depression. Low zinc levels can also lead to irritability, emotional instability, and induced deficits in social behaviour. The best way to give a boost to zinc levels in our body is by ensuring that we consume zinc-rich foods like oysters, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and spinach. Zinc supplements are also available in pharmacies, however, like any other supplements, it is recommended to consult your doctor before starting any supplements.

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Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency can be a big problem as it is an essential mineral, which is needed for many bodily functions including our mental health. Magnesium is important for the formation of neurotransmitters, which impact our mood and mental health. It’s also needed for the production of energy and the regulation of blood sugar. A magnesium deficiency can lead to feelings of fatigue, as well as feelings of anxiety and depression. Almonds, spinach, and avocado are good sources of magnesium, which should be included in our diet regularly.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is responsible for the production of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine, it also aids hormonal balance, hence it plays a vital role in the regulation of our moods, immune system and nervous system. Vitamin D deficiency is linked with depression, mild Alzheimer’s, altered sleep patterns, mood issues, and fatigue. While sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D for our body, vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods such as egg yolk, fatty fish, red meat and mushrooms.

Iodine

Iodine is a mineral that is needed for healthy mental and physical development. An iodine deficiency can lead to an increase in mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. It’s also important for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland, which can lead to a decreased metabolism and low energy levels. You can get iodine by using an iodine-enriched salt or by eating foods such as fish, dried seaweed, eggs, shrimp, and dairy products.

Calcium

Since we were kids, we have heard that calcium is essential for healthy bones and teeth. But apart from being a vital nutrient for our bone health, calcium levels in our body also have a major impact on our mental health. Calcium deficiency can often lead to feelings of anxiety and depression as well as an increased risk of mood disorders. Calcium is found in foods such as dairy products and broccoli.

Disclaimer: Talk to your doctor before taking any supplements, especially if you are on prescription drugs.

Discover your best complexion by ditching old skin cells

f you’re wondering how to achieve brighter, smoother, clearer, softer, glowier skin, it’s really quite simple: Exfoliation. Incorporating this

step into your beauty routine is the optimum way to reveal your best complexion. “When we’re babies, the dead skin cells at the top layers of our skin slough off easily; as we age, that function slows,” explains Jean Godfrey-June, Beauty Director at goop. “That’s why babies’ skin looks so beautiful: dead skin cells that stick to skin leave it looking uneven and dull, and the cells themselves can clog pores. And skin treatments—even just plain moisturizer—have a harder time getting into skin to do their work when dead skin cells, dirt, and debris are in the way.”

Exfoliation helps to open pores which helps to reduce acne breakouts, says Dr. Jason Rivers, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Riversol skin care brand. Other benefits of exfoliation, Rivers says, are a reduction in uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation. It can also produce collagen stimulation.

“The mild disruption of the skin barrier will also allow other agents (e.g. serums) to penetrate the skin to some degree, potentially enhancing their benefits,” Rivers explains. Certainly, the reduction in surface skin cells from the upper most layers of the skin (stratum corneum) will make the skin smoother which makes the skin appear brighter and allows for the more even application of makeup.”

There are two ways to approach exfoliation: using a scrub which has small particles that work to “scrub” away the dead cells or a chemical product that lifts them away.

“Physical exfoliants— anything from a washcloth to a scrub containing beads or small granules that you massage into your skin manually—use grit or texture to sweep away the top layer of cells,” Godfrey-June says. “They can feel really nice on skin—or can be too intense, depending on the product and your skin. The only real downside is using irregularly-shaped particles (think the really harsh apricot-kernel-type scrubs of

By Michele Marko

the ‘90s) can cause micro tears in skin, which can disturb the skin’s natural barrier.”

Chemical exfoliators, which are acids, help to dissolve the bonds holding skin cells together, Rivers says. The most common ones are alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), beta hydroxy acid (BHA), and polyhydroxy acid (PHA) or fruit-derived ones.

So how to choose the right one for your skin? Rivers says chemical exfoliators are generally safe to use on dry to normal skin but recommends for those with sensitive skin, “a test area should be tried first before using the product over large areas of skin.” If the skin reacts negatively, rinse it off immediately.

For acne-prone and oily skin, Godfrey-June says both physical and chemical exfoliation can work. “If you get breakouts often, use chemical exfoliators to fight the oil and acne from a deeper level in the skin. AHA and BHA acids (like salicylic, lactic, and glycolic) will be most effective. Use a physical exfoliator—one with fine, even particles—and avoid abrasive

The best time to exfoliate is in the evening. Skin does need to recover, that is why you should not use these products daily.”

Dr. Jason Rivers, Certified Dermatologist & Founder, Riversol Skincare

physical exfoliators with harsh grains.”

For sensitive skin she suggests a PHA chemical exfoliant, which is gentler on skin than AHAs or BHAs, “or a mild, gentle, even-particled physical exfoliant will efficiently remove dead skin cells but are less likely to irritate skin.” Once your skin is acclimated, you can slowly introduce AHAs and BHAs and stronger physical exfoliants to your regimen.  AHAs, she says, work well for dry skin and if you experience any stinging, just rinse the product off, and adds that physical exfoliants or a combination of both can also be effective. “The best time to exfoliate is in the evening,” advises Rivers. “Skin does need to recover, that is why you should not use these products daily.” He suggests only exfoliating your skin two to three times a week but if you have very dry or sensitive skin, it should be limited to once a week. After exfoliation, Rivers says apply a serum and/or a moisturizer but advised not to use “any toners as this will reduce surface oils further and could lead to skin irritation.”

Godfrey-June advises that you ensure that your moisturizer doesn’t contain any exfoliant ingredients like Vitamin C which is a mild exfoliant. It shouldn’t be used after exfoliating with strong products. “And even if you’re using it after exfoliating with less-powerful products, watch how your skin reacts.”

Exfoliating makes skin more sensitive to sun exposure, so wearing a sunscreen is vital to both protecting your skin and avoiding any irritation. “If you don’t wear it, you’re undoing all the benefits you just gained with exfoliation.” Godfrey-June says.

By Shweta Kulkarni

Attention fashionistas! Get ready to build on to your wish list, because the must-have fashion trends for 2023 have been unveiled! And the good news is, this year’s trends certainly don’t disappoint. From bold and vibrant colours to eco-friendly clothing to a return to 50s style, there are a lot of possibilities for what we’ll be wearing in the coming year. So, read on to know all about the hottest trends that shall reign in 2023, and stay ahead of the fashion curve this year.

Bold And Vivacious Hues

2023 is about vibrancy. And designers across the globe have made it clear that the bold and vibrant colour trend from last year is here to stay in 2023 as well. Expect to see a mix of bold colours such as purple, red or neon shades. Shades of pink will be ruling and should be your go-to colour if you wish to make a statement. Popular trending pieces like super-sized hoodies, bold coats, oversized blazers, dresses in loud colours will dominate the fashion universe in 2023. So, hug your bright clothes dearly this year as well.

Sustainable Fashion

With more and more people becoming eco-conscious, sustainable fashion, undoubtedly, is taking centre stage this year. Several fashion houses are shifting their focus towards not only using sustainable materials but also curating lasting styles. This has led to the rise of vegan materials, such as faux leather and faux suede, as well as the use of sustainable fabrics such as linen, bamboo, and hemp. Brands such as Timberland and Patagonia have already taken steps in this direction, with Patagonia even going as far as to ban the use of animal fabrics in their products. With consumers becoming more and more aware of the importance of sustainable fashion materials, sustainable fashion will likely be the biggest fashion trend in 2023. So, own your fashion with responsibility this year.

Oversized Blazers

With oversized shoulders, exaggerated sleeves and new silhouettes, oversized power blazers have become a fashion favourite of late and this popular trend from last year has effortlessly glided into 2023 as well. The supersized blazer first caught everyone’s eye on runways like Balenciaga, Khaite, and The Row, and ever since has made it as an official wardrobe staple. Extremely versatile, an oversized blazer can be paired with classic jeans, coordinating trousers or even with dresses to create head-turning formal to fun casual looks.

Utility Wear

Baggy Jeans

It’s time to bid goodbye to skinny denim and welcome 2023 with baggy jeans. From streetwear brands to highend designers, everyone has jumped onto the baggy jeans trend. The baggy jeans are already hyped so much that they will likely become a staple in your wardrobe in 2023.

Sheer

Talk about Sheer joy in the fashion industry and almost every top fashion brand from Miu Miu and Valentino to Bottega and Cecilie Bahnsen to Susan Fang and Sinead O’Dwyer is enjoying their brush with this risqué yet classic fabric. Sheer fabric has been having its moment this year and it is simply impossible to escape the sheer trend this year. Whether it is in the form of chic skirts and bottoms, fitted fancy tops or mesh dresses – Sheer not only adds drama but is also chic. No wonder, it is ruling the fashion circuit this year.

Comfort-loving fashion-savvy folks can rejoice as their beloved cargo pants are still going to run strong in 2023 as well. Nothing spells elegance and comfort better than utility clothing and for 2023 designers have further enhanced the look with sophisticated utility jackets and stylized cargo pants. Major fashion houses like Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton have explored the utility trend on runways and given us a ton of utility inspiration for 2023.

Acid Green

Acid green is a vibrant and bold colour that is making a huge comeback in 2023. Originally popular in the ‘70s, this colour has recently made a re-entry in the form of athleisure and streetwear. It’s the perfect colour to pair with bolder prints and make a style statement. Acid green also works great with fabrics such as knits and silks.

Drop Waist Dresses

The popular 80s trend has made a triumphant comeback in 2023 and looking at the way all major fashion brands have fallen for it; one thing is for certain, this trend is here for the long haul. Perfect for a day outing as well as evening wear, drop waist dresses are comfortable and chic and a must-have in your wardrobe this season.

Asymmetric Hems

Asymmetric hems are another key fashion trend that is only set to grow in popularity this year. Fun and experimental, this trend is perfect for adventurous fashionistas. Best suited for casual attires, asymmetric hems can be seen on everyday pieces like dresses, joggers, skirts or even denim.

We carry a large selection of designer & fashion sunglasses, frames, contact lenses & accesories

2023 is the time to shine! From Valentino and Gucci to Balenciaga and Michael Kors, all top designers have gone all the way in the sparkle department, infusing high-shine metallics and glitter into a majority of their silhouettes created for this season. Be it head-to-toe looks or mere details, shimmer and sparkle can be seen everywhere this year. Right from gold, silver or coloured versions shine can be seen on unlikely items like jeans, blazers, shorts, pantsuits, and of course, on an endless number of jaw-dropping dresses this season.

Corsets

Corsets are a new love. Celebrities and Gen Z are already lapping up this hottest trend of 2023 and we think no one should be left behind in embracing this uber-cool trend. Extremely chic and versatile, a corset can be styled with minimalistic midi skirts, low-rise pants, cargo pants, baggy jeans or simply along with your fav pair of denim.

Bubble Skirts

Bubble skirts were extremely popular in the 1950s, with many celebrities including Marilyn Monroe being huge fans of the trend. But with the emerging fashion trends, the bubble skirts trend soon fell out. However, come 2023 and one can see the resurgence of this bubbly trend. While bubble skirts are typically knee length, this year they come in many different variations, such as knee length and mini length, fun hemlines, and in a pop of eye-catching colours. Talk of a grand return and bubble skirts have nailed it!

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BHUPINDER OBEROI OWNER

Chef MANJIT GILL

Aloo Meat

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

tion in the world of gastronomy, he is a name to reckon with in the national and global hospitality and culinary industry. As the Corporate Chef of ITC, his knowledge and experience comes from over four decades of work in pioneering world-class restaurants curating traditional Indian food. Gill during his tenure at ITC has been responsible for creating iconic brands such as Bukhara – the north-west frontier tandoori cuisine, Dum Pukht – a grand cuisine from Avadh, Dakshin – the specialized cuisine of the four southern states of India, Kabab & Kurry – the best of pan-Indian kebabs and curry dishes, and the most recent Royal Vega – ‘honestly’ vegetarian cuisine based on the philosophy, principles and guidelines of Indian gastronomy (Ayurveda) served in royal style.

From designing the menu to curating the carefully selected Indian fare for world leaders, Gill has had the privilege of serving former American Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George Bush, and the French, Canadian, British and German premiers among many. In 1992, Chef Gill had the unforgettable opportunity of being invited to cook for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, at the Palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur.

With his relentless efforts for the last couple of decades, Chef Gill has brought pride on their own food to Indians – both among professionals and society-at-large. The chef’s endeavor is to bring recognition to the Indian philosophy of food which is evolved on two pillars – wellness and sustainability – and to establish India as a culinary superpower with its vast ancient knowledge guidelines on healthy cuisine.

• 500-600 g mutton, mix of chops, puth, leg meat with bone and debone chunk

• 250 g potatoes, about 5-6

• 5-6 tbsps ghee

• ¾ cup onions, finely sliced

• 2 brown cardamom, gently crushed

• 4 green cardamom, gently crushed

• 2 tejpatta

• 1½ tbsp garlic paste

• 1 tbsp ginger paste

• ½ cup curd

• Rock salt

• 1½ tsp coriander powder

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• ½ cup fresh Tomato puree

• 1 tsp lemon juice fresh

• ½ tsp garam masala

• Ghee to deep-fry potatoes

• 1 tsp ginger julienne to garnish

• Boil potatoes until just undercooked. Remove from heat, drain well and keep aside to cool.

• Melt ghee in a heavy bottom pan; add brown cardamom, green cardamom and tejpatta. Stir and sauté until it gives out a pleasant fragrance.

• Add sliced onions, stir and sauté until soft

Chef Gill was the first Indian bestowed with the exclusive honorary membership of WorldChef. He has had the privilege of serving former American President Barack Obama and Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

and translucent. Add garlic paste and ginger paste, sauté until golden.

• Add mutton, stir and increase heat to medium-low, cover and let it cook for two to three minutes. Remove the cover, stir and reduce heat to low until mutton turns to brown, moisture evaporates and ghee separates. Now add whisked curd with onefourth cup of water, stir to mix and continue stirring until the curd is reduced and ghee starts surfacing.

• Add coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric, and rock salt, stir to mix well for few seconds. Then add tomato puree, stir to mix and increase the heat to medium. Stir and let it cook for two to three minutes. Add three to four cups of water, bring to boil and reduce heat to low, then cover and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile remove the skin of potatoes. Poke holes in each potato all over with a toothpick or a skewer. The hole can be half way through and few may be through and through. It’s to absorb flavours and the gravy.

• To fry potatoes, heat ghee in a kadahi on medium high heat. Add poked potatoes, once it starts frying, reduce heat to low medium and continue frying. With a slotted spoon, turn potatoes while frying, fry until crisp golden. Potatoes must have enough space to fry evenly, therefore the number of potatoes, amount of ghee, and size of the kadahi must be in sync. Keep aside on kitchen paper.

• Remove the cover from the mutton, stir and check if the mutton is cooked. If it is almost cooked, add fried potatoes and stir gently. If the gravy is thin, simmer open, if it’s thick, add hot water. Let the potatoes and mutton simmer for five to seven minutes or until the meat is well-cooked and potatoes are filled with gravy. The gravy needs to be semi-thick.

• Finely drizzle lemon juice and sprinkle garam masala and let it simmer for a minute. Move into a bowl and garnish with ginger julienne

THE MOST ANTICIPATED OF MOVIES 2023

By Shweta Kulkarni

After a lull of nearly two years, cinephiles can finally look forward to all kinds of cinematic treats this year. 2023 is all geared up to welcome a fresh line-up of titles ranging from blockbusters and jaw-dropping action extravaganzas like Pathaan, Tiger 3, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan to inspiring biopics and crime thrillers like Maidaan and Animal. Comedy lovers and rom-com fans can expect new flicks from seasoned directors in this department like Karan Johar and Luv Ranjan, who will bring to the big screen the rom-coms Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani and Tu Jhooti Main Makkar respectively. Then there is the social comedy-drama Dunki, which marks the first collaboration between Shah Rukh Khan and one of the most successful filmmakers of Bollywood — Raj Kumar Hirani. There is so much heading to the big screens this year that it is impossible to keep calm, especially if you are a cine buff. Here’s our list of big screen movies to look forward to this year.

PATHAAN

Release date: January 25, 2023

Directed by: Siddharth Anand

Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham

Four years after the last entry (WAR) in YRF’s spy universe, the production house is back with its most awaited fourth instalment to its popular action-packed franchise — Pathaan. Starring none other than the Badshah of Bollywood, the film also marks Shah Rukh’s comeback to the big screen after a five year’s hiatus. Reasons enough to make a dash to the cinema halls as soon as the film hits the marquee. Speaking about the film and his lead actor, director Siddharth Anand said, “He is the alpha man on a mission in this action spectacle that will hopefully set new benchmarks for the action genre in India. When you have Shah Rukh Khan in your film, along with superstars like Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, you have to reach for the stars in every department, and I don’t think we will disappoint on that promise with Pathaan.” What’s more, Pathaan will also feature Salman Khan in a cameo role, essaying the role of Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger from the Tiger movie franchise. Exciting, isn’t it? Well, go ahead and mark your calendar right away!

SHEHZADA

Release date: February 10, 2023

Directed by: Rohit Dhawan

Starring: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala

Featuring the emerging star of Bollywood — Kartik Aaryan, Shehzada is another most anticipated film of 2023. Billed as an action-packed family drama, Shehzada is the Hindi remake of the 2020 Telugu blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, and follows the story of Bantu (Kartik), who grows up being constantly subjected to his father’s scorn. However, he later learns that he was taken away from his real parents, and decides to carve a place for himself within the family to which he truly belongs. The film will show Kartik in a never-seen-before-avatar and promises to be a complete entertainer. Manisha Koirala, who shall be seen after a long time on the big screen said, “I think Kartik Aaryan is a very talented, hard-working, and humble person. He understands the character and brings out something new.” Going by the teaser, one thing can be said for certain—this one is going to be one hell of an entertainer in 2023.

TU JHOOTI MAIN MAIN MAKKAR

Release date: March 8, 2023

Directed by: Luv Ranjan

Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Boney Kapoor

This upcoming rom-com, helmed by Luv Ranjan, is undoubtedly one of the most hotly-awaited films of 2023 for more than one reason. For starters, Tu Jhooti Main Makkar boasts of an interesting casting and brings together two talented Kapoors for the first time on the big screen — Ranbir and Shraddha. What makes this film a must-watch for cinephiles is the fact that this perhaps might be Ranbir’s last romantic film. Yeah, the actor had announced at an international film festival, “I don’t know, it is probably going to be one of the last romantic comedies I do.” While we don’t know much about the film’s plot, going by the teaser one can say that it has all the quirky trademark elements of a Luv Ranjan film and is sure to entertain. Speaking about the film, Ranbir said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this film. I have thoroughly enjoyed the way Luv has made the film. It was great to be working with Shraddha, we share similar creative energies.” Now, who would want to miss Ranbir’s apparently last rom-com film on the big screen?

KISI KA BHAI KISI KI JAAN

Release date: April 21, 23

Directed by: Farhad Samji

Starring: Salman Khan, Venkatesh, Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Kaur Gill

As has mostly been the case with all Salman Khan movies, Kisi Ka Bhai…Kisi Ki Jaan too is awaited with lots of excitement. While the makers are tight-lipped about the film, it is learned that the core plot of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is based on the 2014 Tamil film, Veeram, and the movie will be an action-packed entertainer. Pooja Hegde, who shall be sharing screen space opposite Salman Khan, said in an interview, “I had a blast working with Salman sir, as he is one of the most welcoming people on the sets.” The film also features Shehnaaz Kaur Gill, popular influencers Just Sul and Abdu Rozik. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is supposed to be a blend of action and romance, which is expected to be high on drama, catchy music, and all the entertaining elements, which are quintessential to a Salman Khan film.

ROCKY AUR RANI KI PREM KAHANI

Release date: April 28, 2023

Directed by: Karan Johar

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan

April brings along another delight for cine lovers — Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. Headlined by two of the most talented actors of Bollywood, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, the romantic drama which is helmed by Karan Johar also features other talented actors like Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Parambrata Chatterjee among others. As in the case of most films these days, the makers aren’t revealing many details about the film yet, however, sources close to the film claim that the film will have a grand release, which would be on par with Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. An excited Karan said in an interview, “It’s like going back to basics with that film. For me, it’s like that naach gaana, fun, happiness, joyousness, the celebration of love and family.” The filmmaker adds, “I am so excited to be working with Dharam ji, Shabana ji, and Jaya aunty, I am excited. From Dharam ji to Alia Bhatt, the range of talent in the film is phenomenal.”

MAIDAAN

Release date: May 12, 2023

Directed by: Amit Ravindernath Sharma

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Priyamani, Gajraj Rao, Rudranil Ghosh

Ajay Devgn and Priyamani’s biographical sports-drama finally arrives in theatres in 2023 after nearly a two-year delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Inspired by an incredible true story, Maidaan showcases the journey of one of the finest football coaches that emerged from India, the one who put India on the global map — Syed Abdul Rahim. What makes the film all the more promising is its cast. The film features versatile actor Ajay Devgn and national award-winning actress Priyamani in lead roles. Commenting about the film, Ajay said in an interview, “It is a fabulous story, director Amit Ravindernath has done a great job. Maidaan has been a very moving and emotional journey for me.” Ajay Devgn movies always promise good entertainment, and this one seems no different.

JAWAN

Release date: June 2, 2023

Directed by: Atlee

Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi

Shah Rukh Khan is unstoppable in 2023. After enthralling the audience with Pathaan, the Badshah of Bollywood shall grace the screen again in 2023 with Jawan, which will be released in five languages. Jawan marks SRK’s first collaboration with Tamil direc tor Atlee, who is extremely excited to work with the King Khan. The director said, “I want to give the audiences an exceptional experience, an event which they all can enjoy together and who better to deliver it than Shah Rukh Khan himself, presented like never before.” Talking about Jawan and its teaser, Shah Rukh said in a statement, “Jawan is a universal story that goes beyond languages and geographies and is for all to enjoy. Credit goes to Atlee for creating this unique film, which has also been a fan tastic experience for me as I love action films! The teaser is just tip of the iceberg and gives a glimpse into what’s to come.” The film also stars versatile actor Vijay Sethupathi and the talented Nayanthara. Talk about a power-packed star cast, and undoubtedly has the best.

ANIMAL

Release date: August 11, 2023

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, Tripti Dimri

After playing intriguing characters in films like Barfi, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Rockstar, Tamasha, Jagga Jasoos, Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani, Sanju, Brahmastra and many more, versatile actor Ranbir Kapoor is all set to wow his audience again with his never-seen-before avatar in Animal. Directed by Sandeep Vanga of Kabir Singh fame, Animal is a crime thriller and features Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, Tripti Dimri and southern sensation Rashmika Mandanna in pivotal roles. Speaking about his character in the film, Ranbir said, “It’s quite a shocking character and has got a lot of grey shades to it. I am looking forward to Animal because that’s a script that’s way out of my comfort zone. I am scared, but at the same time very excited.” And we are excited to watch this film!

TIGER 3

Release date: November 10, 2023

Directed by: Maneesh Sharma

Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Emraan Hashmi

GADAR 2

Release date: August 11, 2023

Directed by: Anil Sharma

Starring: Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Utkarsh Sharma

Among the long list of movies, which are releasing in 2023, another film that has got movie buffs excited is Gadar 2: The Katha Continues. A sequel to 2001 hit romantic period drama Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, featuring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel, Gadar 2 brings back the braveheart Tara Singh (Sunny) and his beloved Sakeena (Ameesha) to the big screen after 22 years. Gadar 2 takes a 20-year leap and chronicles a situation that brings Tara Singh back to Pakistan. While in the first part, we saw him fight for the love of his life, in the sequel, we shall see Sunny’s character go all the way to protect his son, Jeete, played by Utkarsh Sharma. Gadar 2 has retained the angst, drama and intensity of the first film. Revealing details about the film, director Anil Sharma said, “Much like Gadar, even the sequel is in the period set up because it is a continuation of what happens in the lives of Tara, Sakina and Jeete. The world wants to know more about them. Tara Singh has become folklore, he is like Superman, soft at heart but powerful. Our tagline ‘The Katha Continues’ should be taken in a literal sense as the story continues much like Bahubali and Godfather.” No wonder, the excitement around this one is bound to get doubled.

DUNKI

Salman Khan returns once again with his Tiger franchise with director Maneesh Sharma behind the camera. The much-awaited film is the fifth instalment in YRF’s spy universe and the third in the Tiger franchise headlined by Salman Khan. It features Salman as the RAW agent Avinash Singh Rathore and Katrina Kaif as Zoya Humaini. The newest addition to the cast is Emraan Hashmi, who shall be seen playing the main antagonist in this espionage thriller. That’s not all, Shah Rukh Khan will also have an extended cameo role in Tiger 3 as a crossover from the film Pathaan. Soon after dropping the announcement video, film’s director Maneesh Sharma said, “When I was handed over the reins of Tiger 3, I had one singular vision — to take this massively popular and beloved franchise to a level that would set a new benchmark. With the launch announcement, we wanted the personalities of the much-loved jodi of Tiger and Zoya to shine through, and I think that’s what made the announcement such a hit with fans. Having whetted their appetite, I can only say that the actual movie is something that will be well worth the wait.” Well, we are certainly blocking are dates right away.

Release date: December 22, 2023

Directed by: Rajkumar Hirani

Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Boman Irani

Dunki is indeed one of the most hotly awaited films of the year for more than one reason. Firstly, it marks Shah Rukh Khan and Rajkummar Hirani’s first-ever collaboration. Director Rajkummar Hirani has been wanting to work with SRK since his first directorial venture, and his dream to work with Shah Rukh is finally coming true. What’s more, Hirani is known for bringing unique, intriguing subjects to the big screen, and Dunki, with its title itself has piqued the curiosity of all movie-going audiences. While not much is known about the subject, film’s leading man, SRK, explained the title of the film in a recent interview. He said, “In English, my film would be called donkey, it is donkey. But the way a part of the country pronounces donkey in India, it is ‘dunki’. The Punjabis say it (donkey) like dunki… How much to tell you about the story? It is a film directed by one of the most brilliant filmmakers we have had in our country, Mr Raju Hirani. It is written by a very fantastic writer, Abhijat Joshi. It is a story of people who want to come back home… when you finally get the calling.” Reportedly, the film will highlight the rampant use of an illegal backdoor route called ‘Donkey Flight’ that Indians undertake to migrate to countries like Canada and the USA. Now, this one certainly can’t be missed.

Take The Road Less Travelled

with anju modi

Inspired by designer Anju Modi’s travels over the years, ‘The Road Less Travelled’ is a conversation she envisioned with her inner self, while taking a stroll through beautiful valleys and the mightiest of mountains.

Reflecting The South-Asian Lifestyle

DARPAN Style

By Shweta Kulkarni

Ever since its inception in 1990, designer Anju Modi’s eponymous label has strived to preserve Indian handicraft practices from extinction. The brand’s commitment to the revival of traditional crafts and textiles has been apparent through its mesmerising creations, which are a perfect amalgamation of traditional crafts and contemporary silhouettes.

Each season of Anju Modi’s couture and ready-to-wear collections are built around themes showcasing the extraordinary skills of Indian artisans. The brand’s recent collection ‘The Road Less Travelled’ is no different. Inspired by the ace designer’s travels over the years, ‘The Road Less Travelled’ seamlessly blends nuanced elements of architecture, poetry, mythology, and literature with a modern tinge to create heirloom pieces that are a celebration of India’s cultural history and a tribute to modern feminism.

Talking about her collection, the designer tells Darpan, “‘The Road Less Travelled’ is a collection very personal and extremely close to my heart. It is inspired by my travels over the years, and I love how it strikes a balance between the new and nostalgia. Travelling has had a deeper impact on me, more than any book so, designing this collection for me was similar to flipping the pages of my travel albums and delving into the learnings I gained throughout.”

Apart from its stunning silhouettes, the collection also stands out for its unique name. Revealing the reason behind naming the collection — ‘The Road Less Travelled’, Anju Modi says, “I believe travelling is a very personal concept and can have different meanings to everyone. For me, it has been about how physically stepping out of your home, comfort, and boundaries can eventually lead you back to yourself. It isn’t just about having an experience for fun but can also be quite spiritual. Walking through the valleys, mountains, and even the busiest of roads has the ability to shift something within you. So, this collection ‘The Road Less Travelled’ is called so because regardless of how similar and common the routes we take can be, the lessons each person derives out of it is different and lesser known to others.”

Emphasising further the importance of travel, Anju Modi advises, “This collection was a tangible representation of my travels and gave the audience, a glimpse of my memories from those. However, there’s something I would want people to understand and do more of is travelling. It nurtures your soul and gives you memories and learnings you will hold onto for the rest of your life. You learn more about your inner self when you step out into the world so definitely do more of that and welcome the adventures as much as you can.” While it is evident that Anju Modi is an ardent traveller, the gifted fashion designer is also driven by her passion for textiles and the Indian craft. Over the years, she has not only revived age-old techniques that were long forgotten but have also created an extensive library of research and development techniques for weaving, vegetable dyeing, block printing, and traditional embroidery. A lot of this research has come in handy while Anju Modi was curating the ‘The Road Less Travelled’ collection.

Giving us an insight into the craftsmanship, colour palette, and fabrics used in the collection, the couturier reveals, “Our goal with this collection was to work as closely to the inspiration as possible. That would mean working with the ornamentation, fabrics and techniques from various parts of the world. Since a significant part of my travels include the people, I’ve interacted with, the craftsmen I’ve worked with and the locals I’ve learnt so much from, this was also an ode to those individuals and their community. We have utilised a lot of our past research and development techniques like vegetable dyeing and age-old embroideries. The collection boasts of beautiful soft Pashminas, silks from Kerala and other southern areas etc. For the embroidery, we have taken the traditional zardosi embroidery that replicates the beauty and warmth of the winter sun.”

The collection’s offerings are plenty. While the womenswear includes classic sarees, embroidered sarees, silk overcoats, and lehengas as well as more fusion style layered looks in monochrome, jewel tones, and more subtle hues, the menswear includes floral embroidered waistcoats and all-white ensembles with a nostalgic feel. The collection is further brought to life with intricate vintage-era embroideries and craftsmanship that are so close to the brand’s core. The fabric selection is also masterfully executed keeping in mind the collection’s theme with options like Pashmina, silk from Kerala, and south, tulle, khadi, Banaras brocade, velvet, organza.

Anju Modi’s designs are always inspired by a wide gamut of references from philosophy and architectural marvels, and each ensemble has a story to tell. Ask the talented designer what makes this collection unique from what she has done in the past, and she explains, “This collection was a reflection of how my various escapades around the world helped me to leave my comfort zone and emerge into the creative professional I am today. So, needless to say, it wouldn’t have been fair to the collection if I chose to stick with what we have done before at our atelier. Therefore, we have played a lot around silhouettes and made sure that we create something that caters to a wide clientele i.e., designs that the younger generation would wear and also the older generations resonate with. I think this collection has captured the essence of the old and merged it beautifully with the new.”

Further enlightening us about the USP of the collection, the designer reveals, “I would say it has to be the silhouettes and the inspiration itself. If I can, I would also add the way we have pivoted away from conventional fashion show presentations. The ideation of how we wanted to present this collection also did justice to the concept. We chose a ramp strewn with rocks, and tall pine trees with visuals of the mighty mountains and rivers streaming down just brought everything together so well. So, when I say we went out with this one, I really mean every word of it!” Truly, ‘The Road Less Travelled’, not only echoes the brand’s sensibilities but also exudes a certain understated elegance that sets it apart from the brand’s previous offerings.

Over the years, the talented designer’s exceptional work like this and beautifully crafted collection has not only gotten her several accolades, but has also made her a favourite with several celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Shraddha Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Tabu, Jacqueline Fernandes and Kangana Ranaut. That is not all, Anju Modi is also renowned for designing masterpieces for a few blockbuster Bollywood movies like Ram-Leela and Bajirao Mastani. Speaking about her journey, the critically acclaimed couturier says, “My journey, as I always say, has been extremely nurturing. It has been fun to be able to put my creative juices into play and create something that people enjoy wearing. Three decades is a long time, but it has been so fulfilling in all ways... mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have had overall growth as an individual, and there isn’t anything more, I could’ve asked for.”

Anju Modi’s ‘The Road Less Travelled’ can be purchased from Anju Modi’s flagship store in Sultanpur, New Delhi or Anju Modi Design Studio in Noida. Alternatively, one can even contact the brand through its social media channels to make a purchase or visit their site www.anjumodi.com.

Q: Where did you meet?

We first met in 2013 in an underground SkyTrain station in Vancouver. It certainly wasn’t love at first sight, but we got there by the 250th!

Q: What do you love most about one another?

Anjan: His lame yet delightful sense of humour!

Aman: Her caring nature and the fact that she willingly agreed to marry me!

Q: Tell us about your engagement?

Our engagement survived COVID scares left and right, but it was pretty uneventful (thank god!) in the center. Aman’s parents visited from India and had to survive random COVID tests and subsequent quarantine. Five days after our engagement, the city announced restrictions on indoor gatherings. All things considered, the engagement party was a lot of fun. We had friends and family visiting from across North America, making it extra special.

Q: Tell us about your wedding?

Aman: Our wedding was exactly how we had dreamt about it. We wanted our events to be outdoor. Gurgaon/Delhi farmhouses were the place to host. The weather was in our favor throughout the whole week as well.

Anjan: Our events started in Vancouver in December 2021, our engagement party. In September 2022, we hosted my bridal shower at Delta golf course. The remaining five events were hosted in India.

&AnjanAman

Q: What was your favorite moment of your wedding day?

Anjan: My favorite moment was when I walked into the Anand Karaj hall, saw a smile on his face, and celebrated with our family and friends who traveled from all over the world just for us.

Q: Can you describe your outfits?

Before leaving for India in April 2022, I would sit with my parents to shortlist outfits based on what we saw on social media. While in India, I would wake up my parents in Vancouver, my brother in California, and my sister in Dubai so they could all be a part of every detail.

For our Welcome event, I wanted a fun and bold outfit to start the wedding festivities, so I went with Gazal Gupta, whose collection was perfect for it. For the Cocktail, I wanted to wear a princess gown with crystals embroidery. I had been eyeing Dolly J’s gowns for a while now, and it was breathtaking. They not only delivered in five weeks, but the outfit was also better than I had pictured.

For the Mendhi event, brides usually opt for traditional looks; however, we had pictured a fun and colourful function rather than a traditional one. Monika Nidhi’s new collection was not only perfect but exactly what I thought I had pictured myself wearing.

The wedding day outfit was my favourite because it was the first one I tried on and fell in love with. Wearing a Rimple Harpreet Narula’s lengha is every girl’s dream come true and my parents made mine come true. I fell in love with my wedding set when I saw it while my sister did her wedding jewelry shopping over five years ago. Khanna Jewellers in Ludhiana helped design the accent pieces for my remaining jewelry.

We wanted to end our wedding festivities with a glam bam. So for the Reception, I opted for Seema Gujral, as her collection has over-the-top glam, which was exactly what I had pictured before.

Q: Tell us about your reception?

Our reception was very different than what you would see in North America. It was a

100

seated event with no DJ, only an army band in the lawn area and violin in the dining hall playing throughout the night. The decor was a surprise for Aman and me, and our jaws dropped when we walked into the venue. It was elegant and covered in fresh white flowers.

Q: Where did you honeymoon?

Taking over a month off for our wedding in India, we have pushed a honeymoon to next year. We did go on “mini getaways” in Goa and Cancun, but we plan on honeymooning in the summer of 2023 in Scandinavia.

Q: What are your favorite quotes?

Aman: 1. The wife is always right. 2. If you feel she is wrong, slap yourself and read rule #1 again.

Q: What are your goals as a couple?

To be accepting of each other’s flaws and  Pay attention. Support your partner and push them to achieve their dreams.

Q: What have been some of the biggest challenges you have overcome as a couple?

The biggest challenge would certainly be our time away from each other, as we were in a long-distance relationship (Vancouver

and Toronto) for about two years. COVID certainly didn’t help. Managing different time zones, varying work schedules, and travel restrictions made it complicated, but it enabled us to come out as a stronger couple. It taught us resilience and patience, which are key to a long and healthy married life. In the end, all’s well that ends well!

Q: How long did you know each other before you got married?

We had been friends for seven years before we started dating and got married two years later.

Q: If you could provide any advice to other married couples, what would it be?

Never go to bed angry and sort out any issues that arise head-on instead of holding on to them. Prioritize each other above everything else. Remember, you are a team now, and stand by each other.

HONDA HR-V

Urban crossover gets a new look

By Benjamin Yong

Honda’s answer to the Mazda CX-30 and Nissan Kicks, the HR-V, returns for a second generation completely redesigned for 2023. Longer, wider and boasting the same platform and engine as found in the Civic the vehicle has matured nicely offering a good option for small families.

“The new HR-V is the perfect size for those looking for a SUV that can park in tight spaces and carry all their gear while delivering a fun and sporty driving experience,” said Honda Canada vice president Steve Hui in a press release. “HR-V’s upgraded and enhanced features will solidify its position as a segment leader that will attract a new generation of Honda customers. We expect it will be popular with young and diverse consumers representing a variety of lifestyles.”

Design takes a sharp detour from the global model that finally arrived in the U.S. and Canada back in 2016, deleting quirks like the hidden rear door handles and flip-up interior Magic Seats seen in the Fit hatchback. The front fascia adopts a contemporary appearance wearing sleek LED headlights, complemented by similarly slimmed down units at the back, and a traditional centre-set black grille painted gloss black on Darpan’s EX-L Navi grade tester.

The aforementioned 221-milli-

metre longer length and 70-millimetre increased width provide more athletic proportions, and adding to the performance aesthetic are unique 17-inch Shark Gray machined-finished alloy wheels, gloss black door pillars and bumper trim, and a painted window spoiler. Sharing a similar interior as the Civic, the same polarizing metal honeycomb decoration runs across the entire dashboard and conceals the air vents behind. The leather steering wheel and heated seats have a premium feel to them given the entry-level segment though curiously feature complete manual adjustment even on the driver’s side. The nine-inch colour touchscreen is nice to look at but Honda infotainment remains one of the less intuitive examples on the market and could really use some type of rotary control knob found in many competitor vehicles. Having a larger footprint allows for the imple-

HIGHLIGHTS

MSRP: $39,080

Motor: 2.0-litre inline-four cylinder

Horsepower: 158 @ 6,500 rpm

Torque (lb-ft): 138 @ 4,200 rpm

Gearbox: CVT

Layout: All-wheel drive

Fuel economy: 9.9 L/100 km mixed city/highway (observed)

ToyoTa Corolla Cross 2023

New entry-level family hauler

Toyota knows a thing or two about building compact crossovers, launching the first RAV4 in the mid-1990s during the nascent days of the segment. Since then, however, the model has gotten larger over subsequent generations and something fresh with a familiar name is filling the void left behind: the Corolla Cross.

“For more than five decades, Corolla has moved Canadians like no other vehicle ever has – and the newest member of the Corolla family continues that tradition,” says Cyril Dimitris, Toyota Canada vice president, in a media release. “The Corolla Cross brings that reputation to the hot compact SUV market – appealing to Canadians who love the footprint of a smaller vehicle, but who also seek impressive versatility and the all-weather confidence of all-wheel-drive.”

Though built on the same TNGA-C platform as its sedan/hatchback namesake, the small SUV, which debuted last year, looks unique resembling a baby RAV4. The mesh grille, black bumper and body cladding and rear window spoiler lends an air of sportiness, and Darpan’s top-of-the-line XLE-grade press loaner adds extra goodies like 18-inch dual

five-spoke alloy wheels, premium LED lighting, roof rails and moonroof. The Cypress green exterior paint and Macadamia brown SofTex faux-leather interior is a gorgeous combo as well. The interior shares a lot of similarities with the five-door variant though affords 53 millimetres of additional legroom and 63.5 headroom thanks to a slightly larger form factor. Similarly, cargo capacity is much improved offering 440 litres of space when the split 60/40 folding bench is laid flat.

The 10-way power-adjustable heated driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive and for 2023 a next-generation Toyota

By Benjamin Yong

HIGHLIGHTS

MSRP: $34,550

Motor: 2.0-litre inline-four cylinder

Horsepower: 169 @ 6,600 rpm

Torque (lb-ft): 150 @ 4,400 rpm

Gearbox: CVT

Layout: All-wheel drive

Fuel economy: 11.2 L/100 km

Multimedia infotainment system is standard showcasing an eight-inch touchscreen and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. While an improvement over the outgoing technology it’s not the most intuitive offering on the market.

All trims run a 2.0-litre four-cylinder Dynamic Force (what the brand calls the family of powertrains utilizing high-speed combustion to achieve great thermal efficiency) engine producing 169 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque

mated to a CVT transmission. The familiar setup is peppy even when installed under the hood of the crossover, and coupled with the all-wheel-wheel-drive-equipped version’s fully independent suspension provides an unexpectedly enjoyable experience behind the wheel perfect for urban commuting. For quick trips out of town or to and from the hardware store, the 1,500-pound maximum tow rating should be sufficient for light hauling needs. Also new for the current year is the introduction

of Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 on all models boasting enhanced sensors improving detection capability — the collision-avoidance function recognizes motorcyclists in certain situations, and when making a turn or approaching an intersection forward and laterally-approaching are detected triggering alerts and/or emergency braking if necessary.

The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross is at dealerships now and is built at the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama.

2023

KIA Sportage X-Line

Radical redesign

One thing that can be said about the all-new 2023 Kia Sportage is its spaceage styling is far from conservative. The reimagined compact crossover emerges appearing like a completely different beast and for the first time introduces a slightly more rugged (looking) X-Line model. Here’s how the latest offering stacks up.

“The Sportage is entering its most exciting generation yet,” says Kia Canada COO Elias El-Achhab in a press release. “We can’t wait for Canadians to experience this completely redesigned SUV that is not only a cut above when it comes to design, innovation and technology, but it is also an absolute thrill to drive.”

Gone is the traditional headlamp and tiger nose grille. The setup is replaced by a cluster of LEDS nestled inside boomerang-shaped signature daytime running lights, flanking a dominating 3-D mesh grille spanning the width of the front fascia. Bold sheet metal creases run down the side continuing around the back where a pair of “notch” taillights remain

connected via a thin black bar running across the tailgate. Visibly larger measuring over 180 millimetres longer than the outgoing vehicle and nearly 13 millimetres taller and wider, the X-Line is particularly attractive with the exclusive chunky lower bumper garnishes, dark gloss side mirrors, ladder-style roof rails and two-tone 19-inch wheels. The Jungle Green paint colour on our media loaner suited the utility-focused accoutrements quite nicely.

The Sportage, particularly in the Limited grade is more premium than expected for the segment featuring hydro-dipped wood dash trim and quilt-

By Benjamin Yong

HIGHLIGHTS

MSRP: $40,995

Motor: 2.5-litre four cylinder

Horsepower: 187 @ 6,100 rpm

Torque (lb-ft): 178 @ 4,000 rpm

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Layout: All-wheel drive

Fuel economy: 11.9 L/100 km mixed city/highway (observed)

nomic T-shaped shift lever is a nice touch amid a sea of rotary and button-type transmission selectors.

Climate control is integrated into the dual 12.3-inch instrument gauge and infotainment display, the latter which is beautiful and responsive however navigating radio stations is a bit of a pain especially with the absence of a physical volume or tuning knob.

While both hybrid and plugin hybrid options are available on the platform, the X-Line utilizes the 2.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. All-wheel drive is standard. Producing 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque there is no pretense of high performance here and fuel economy, at an observed 11.9 L/100 km in mixed city and highway driving, is pretty decent for AWD.

Speaking of which the intelligent AWD is proficient at detecting wheel slippage, sending the proper amount of torque to the rear axle as necessary. Even in rainy Vancouver the SUV remained stable at relatively high speeds, and though the system may very well be proficient on low traction trails, the ride height is no different from the other variants making off-roading a potentially risky venture.

Safety-wise the vehicle is fully loaded and equipped with a plethora of driver assistance equipment including Forward Collision Avoidance, Driver Attention Warning, Lane Follow Assist and the excellent Blind View Monitor that shows a live video feed of activity beside the car whenever the turn signal is activated.

The 2023 Kia Sportage X-Line starts at $40,995 MSRP.

644-4716

888-5862

659-3200

659-3200

OpenRoad Honda Burnaby, your award-winning Honda store.

OpenRoad Honda Burnaby, your award-winning Honda store.

OpenRoad Honda Burnaby is honored to be the recipient of the Honda President’s Circle Award, and the only Honda Driving Excellence High Achiever Award in BC, ranking #1 in Canada for 2021.

OpenRoad Honda Burnaby is honored to be the recipient of the Honda President’s Circle Award, and the only Honda Driving Excellence High Achiever Award in BC, ranking #1 in Canada for 2021.

With over 40 years of Honda product knowledge and experience, our team serves each one of our guests with the utmost level of care, and we look forward to sharing our Honda passion with you.

With over 30 years of Honda product knowledge and experience, our team serves each one of our guests with the utmost level of care, and we look forward to sharing our Honda passion with you.

OpenRoad Honda Burnaby

OpenRoad Honda Burnaby

6984 Kingsway, Burnaby BC, V5E 1E6

6984 Kingsway, Burnaby BC, V5E 1E6

(10-minute drive from Metrotown)

(10-minute drive from Metrotown)

(604) 525-4667 | OpenRoadHonda.ca

(604) 525-4667 | OpenRoadHonda.ca

We are Moving to our New Location soon!

We are Moving to our New Location soon!

5723 Marine Way Burnaby, BC, V5J 0A6 (10-minute drive from the current location)

5723 Marine Way Burnaby, BC, V5J 0A6 (10-minute drive from the current location)

Aly Jiwani Vice President, Regional Operations (604)

Ryan Muir General Manager (604) 525-4667

Gagan Rai Product Advisor (604)

Aly Jiwani Vice President, Regional Operations (604)

Inderbir Bedi Assistant Sales Manager (778)

Ryan Muir General Manager (604) 525-4667

Amarjeet Singh Product Advisor (604) 767-9554

2023

Mercedes-Benz C 300 Miniature

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been setting the benchmark in the entry-level luxury compact car segment for quite some time. And it continues to do so with the introduction of the fifth-gen C 300 showcasing new styling and technology, some of which is borrowed from the fullsize S-Class. Read on.

Designers have made several changes to give the vehicle an even sportier look than previously, for example introducing the so-called “cab-backward” language where the windshield and rest of the greenhouse are moved backward so the hood appears longer. The former grill shape is flipped 180 degrees into an appealing thinner A-shape, housing a

Flagship

large emblem flanked by a single chrome blade slicing through the diamond openstar pattern.

Adding to the aggressive profile are raised bumps, or power domes, on the hood, two-piece horizontal LED taillights (a first on the model), higher shoulder line and 18-inch AMG split five-spoke alloy wheels on our Night Package equipped loaner. Five different paint colours join the palette bringing the total to 12 — the sedan looks particularly attractive in a neutral colour like Opalith White Metallic helping highlight the contrasting black trim and door pillars.

By Benjamin Yong

HIGHLIGHTS

MSRP: $68,650

Motor: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four cylinder

Horsepower: 255 @ 5,800 rpm

Torque (lb-ft): 295 @ 2,000 rpm

Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic

Layout: All-wheel drive

Fuel economy: 8.6 L/100 km mixed city/highway (manufacturer estimate)

2023 Por sche C ayenne

The family spor t s c ar, from a family of spor t s car s .

Boasting a striking appearance and impressive per formance, with seating for racetrack or the road, leisure or ever yday driving: at the wheel of the versatile Cayenne, fascination and spor t y driving pleasure undisputedly take the lead.

Available now at Porsche Centre Langley

com

One of the items the C 300 borrows from its bigger sibling is the large 11.9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen, mounted right below the aeronautic-inspired central air vents and slightly tilted towards the driver. Whether you’re a fan of all the digitization happening in the auto industry or not, the setup here is stunning and is fairly intuitive to operate. Directly adjacent is a free-standing 12.3-inch electronic instrument panel displaying gauges and vehicle info.

Like in the S-Class, the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User eXperience) infotainment packs more processing power, is learning-capable and includes advanced Voice Control. Occupants simply have to say, “Hey Mercedes,” and follow-up with a request to raise the climate control temperature, or load up a playlist using natural language. There’s a large amount of personalization available as well and individual users can save their profiles and load them up any time after pressing on the fingerprint reader located next to the hazard lights button.

This car is the first in the lineup to debut a four-cylinder version of the brand’s mild hybrid mill: the turbocharged 2.0-litre unit features an integrated starter generator utilizing a 48-volt on-board electrical system — enabling a temporary acceleration boost, zero-emissions “gliding” at low speeds and smoothened start/stop engine functionality similar to the inline-six variant found in the GLE — producing 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Performance feels quicker than what the output numbers indicate, no doubt aided by the extra 20 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque as mentioned above kicking in during initial throttle application. Handling is as sharp as

expected from the German marque, the sedan sitting on a four-link front and multilink rear suspension that at the same time yields a pretty comfortable while just cruising city streets.

A lot of driver assistance tech is offered such as Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Steering Assist and Active Lane Change Assist allowing the car to automatically maintain speed and spacing on the freeway. Active Stop-andGo Assist is new, providing semi-autonomous support in traffic jams when travelling up to 60 km/h.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz C 300 is in dealerships now.

JOLLY DHALIWAL

RICK DHALIWAL GURMAIL SENGHERA MIKE SANGHERA

Meet the Sharma Family

Why did you decide to immigrate to Canada?

In India, I was working in the event management industry, looking after the rental business of clubs and restaurants. The industry was undergoing a lot of changes when I decided to move here. My wife had already been here for a few months and then later on I joined her. I began my career as an event manager in 2002, organizing events for the Indian Cricket League and the Indian Premier League. I also worked with some of the top notch DJs in India. Prior to getting into event management, I used to be a software engineer. Currently, I am the own Lava Events, an event management company. I am also a realtor. I moved from India with the intention of starting a family in Canada. So once I immigrated, I had my 2 children here, a son and a daughter.

Which year did you immigrate?

I immigrated in October 2008 from Chandigarh, Punjab as a permanent resident.

CANADIAN IMMIGRANTS

Nitin Sharma is the owner of Lava Events

What were your first impressions of Canada?

It is extremely well organized and clean. I came to Surrey as a new immigrant and immediately felt at home with so many Indians living around. I also found the political system to be excellent. I am a nature lover and love the abundant natural beauty. There’s a plethora of lakes and mountains in British Columbia. In fact, Canada as a whole has amazing landscapes across all provinces. Also, I feel as long as you work hard, Canada offers ample opportunities for success.

Where did you stay when you reached Canada? Hotel, relative or friends place?

My wife came to Canada a few months prior to my arrival. Since she was already here, renting a basement, I luckily had a place to stay.

What difficulties/challenges did you face when you and your family moved here?

I didn’t know a soul when I came to Canada. I definitely felt lonely many times, but now I have a great circle of friends and I know lots of families as well.

How was your experience getting a job here? Was it easy or troublesome?

It was easy as I came with an open mind and was ready to take on and do any type of work.

How has your journey in Canada been so far?

Amazing. I had ups and downs but I am happy with the overall results. I want to accomplish a lot more but I am going to take it one step at a time.

How do you see your future in Canada?

I am the owner of a small event companyLava Events. I am looking into the company’s expansion and I want to expand right across Canada. I aspire to manage FIFA someday. Have to go to India every year as my elderly parents are there.

Biggest problem

Resolution

I have learned to juggle my professional and personal life in Canada while I am away in India.

Advice for immigrants Memory

Be patient and you will get success.

I organized a Jagjit Singh Show in Jalandhar, India. It was an audience of 22,000 people. I had an opportunity to have chai with Jagjit Singh and his wife Chitra Singh. I particularly relish this memory as after this show he passed away.