The Asian Star - March 16, 2024

Why India Just Inked a New

Free Trade Deal

This week, India announced a new free trade deal with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland—countries not in the European Union.

In a statement released Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the deal as a “landmark pact.” It was finalized after more than 15 years of negotiations and will remove import tariffs on industrial goods from EFTA states. The agreement entails $100 billion worth of investments across a range of sectors in India, including manufacturing.

Lower

Mainland

gas prices could reach $2.30 by late spring

A small jump in gas prices was seen Thursday morning — an increase of about two cents overnight. It adds to the increases seen over the past week, where prices began at $1.88 a litre. Thursday morning, most prices around the Lower Mainland are hovering around $1.95.

“What’s driven prices up from $1.88 last week to $1.96, which we’re going to pay tomorrow, I’d say about two-thirds of that is apparent shortness, or a crunch, in the supply, (which is) not made any better by (Burnaby Refinery’s) ongoing disruption,” gas expert Dan McTeague said. But, according to McTeague, that is a small increase compared with what’s to come in late spring and early summer.

“As we look at summertime demand, that tends to be a premium of 15 cents a litre.… The new normal this summer, or at least late spring, could begin at a $2.20 or $2.30 a litre range and for that reason, I think motorists need to be best prepared for this very unpleasant reality,” McTeague said. Gas prices will also increase again next month due to the carbon tax.

“Hold on folks, on April 1 it’s going to get even worse (because) B.C. Premier David Eby is hiking the first provincial carbon tax which will bring that total tax burden from 78 cents per litre, where we are sitting at right now, to 81 cents,” Carson Binda said, the B.C. director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

International student numbers to be slashed in B.C. Surrey hospital to get critical care tower with acute, specialized services

British Columbia’s private colleges and universities will see their share of new international students slashed this year, while public postsecondary institutions will be shielded from reductions created by the federal cap on student visas.

Premier Eby said Thursday that there is no need for a financial bailout for postsecondary schools in B.C. as in Ontario, which offered its institutions a $1.3-billion stability fund earlier this week to help absorb the loss of income from fewer foreign students. The two provinces have the largest share of study permits in Canada and are set to bear the brunt of Ottawa’s changes.

“What I can reassure British Columbians is, we are not Ontario. We have taken a different approach here around funding public postsecondary,” Mr. Eby said during a news conference. More than 900,000 foreign students had visas to study in Canada last year, which is more than three times the number a decade ago. Immigration Minister Marc Miller imposed an immediate cap on the number of international study visas that it issues across the country, citing pressure on housing and social services from the growing number of foreign students.

The B.C. government says Surrey Memorial Hospital will get a new criticalcare tower to allow more surgeries and add capacity for pediatric, perinatal, women’s health, mental health and stroke care.

A doctor at the hospital who had raised concerns about patients being at risk hopes the building will close the gap in life-saving services in Surrey. Dr. Claudine StornessBliss, one of the 36 doctors at Surrey Memorial who in an open letter last year raised the alarm about lack of staff, said the announcement leaves her guardedly optimistic. “I worry that this is electioneering with a nearing election as opposed to (the government) truly going ahead with this plan,” said Storness-Bliss, who is the B.C. United candidate for Surrey—Cloverdale. However, as the co-head of Surrey Memorial’s obstetrics and gynecology department, Storness-Bliss said the proposed new tower is “a testament to the importance of physician advocacy and the goals that we can accomplish when health-care providers and the health authority and the government work together.”

2 arrested at scene of alleged murder on UBC Endowment Lands

Homicide investigators were deployed to the University of British Columbia Endowment Lands on Thursday where a woman was allegedly murdered.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), said the RCMP University Detachment was called to reports of a woman in medical distress around 11:40 p.m. on Wednesday. Officers arrived at a home on Shortcut Road in the Lelem Village area, where they found the woman with injuries

that ultimately proved fatal.

“Two individuals, a man and a woman, were arrested on scene in relation to the murder,” police said in a media release.

“IHIT now has conduct of the investigation and is working closely in partnership with the University Detachment, BC Coroners Service and the Integrated Forensic Identification Section (IFIS).” Investigators are still working to identify the victim, who they believe was “associated to the residence.”

RCMP seize huge trove of allegedly stolen Lego, Jellycats

RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say they recovered more than $150,000 in allegedly stolen goods during a recent bust, including a massive trove of Lego and Jellycats.

Police searched a property in the Steveson neighbourhood on Feb. 29, where they seized

lawful guidelines. We wish to thank those enthusiasts as well as the other concerned members of the community who assisted us in this investigation,” RCMP Sgt. Russel Yugai said in the release.

more than 1,000 items, mostly toys and clothing, RCMP said in a media release.

Mounties were tipped off to the cache by members of the public who’d seen the items for sale online. “There are many enthusiasts from both the Lego and Jellycat communities that are guided by ethical and

“This investigation sheds light on some dark corners of the retail theft sector – including the popularity and the resale value of such items and where such items end up.” An online search at a popular toy store in Canada shows Lego prices ranging from a few dollars up to $1,194.94 for a Star Wars Millennium Falcon kit.

Prices also vary wildly on Ebay. And on Amazon, a kit for the Ghostbusters vehicle (Ecto-1) was priced at $329.99.

Police arrested a 46-year-old man, who has been released on conditions pending further investigation.

Oneofthe15projectsannouncedismeantforPICSSociety

SURREY: In a move to underscore the importance of gender diversity in traditionally male-dominated fields, Randy Boissonnault, the Federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages, announced support for women to explore, prepare for, and thrive in skilled trades.

The minister chose Progressive Intercultural Community Service (PICS) Society - an organization upholding values of true diversity and gender equality - to make this significant announcement a day prior to International Women’s Day.

In his address, Randy Boissonnault declared that Canadian government’s resolve to pledge more than $28 million to fund 15 projects aimed at assisting 6,400 eligible women in breaking barriers and building careers in 39 Red Seal trades.

The Minister pointed out that one of the announced projects was intended to assist PICS Society in helping upto 120 new immigrant women apprentices to secure sustainable rewards for their skills and excellence to navigate their career paths in Canada.

“Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) Society is excited to provide participants with specific training that leads to technical skills, certification and practical experience that employers in the trades sector are looking for,” said Satbir Singh Cheema, CEO & President of PICS Society. “This program supports women to achieve their trades-certification goals and gain the practical skills required to excel in their future careers.”

Barinder S. Sanghera

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A Tale of Two Provinces –One Leading Canada, the Other Lagging

British Columbia and Alberta have some things in common. Both are unusually dependent on natural resource-based industries to drive their economies and supply the exports that are vital to sustaining prosperity. Both have been experiencing robust population growth over the last few years. And neither has been well-served by a distant national government in Ottawa with a policy thrust focused more on keeping natural resources in the ground than on harnessing them in an environmentally sustainable way for the benefit of all Canadians.

Recently, B.C. Premier David Eby and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith released their budgets for the coming year, and it is here where it becomes clear that other than sharing a border and natural resource advantages, not much else binds the two provinces together. Perhaps the greatest schism is the difference in the two premiers’ economic vision. To begin with, Alberta’s updated fiscal plan aims to stay in the black, with small operating surpluses expected over the forecast horizon. B.C. is taking a different path, one featuring unprecedented annual deficits as the NDP government ramps up spending in advance of the fall 2024 election and gives free rein to its ideological inclinations to expand the size and reach of government. The Fraser Institute recently reported that in the three years from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to Q2 of last year, 94% of net new payroll jobs created in B.C. were in the public sector. This lopsided labour market is one sign of B.C.’s deteriorating business climate. Returning to the fiscal outlook, B.C. is planning to incur a combined operating deficit of $28 billion from 2023/24 through 2026/27, which is a marked departure from the surpluses posted over most of the preceding dozen years. For its part, Alberta is banking on continued budget surpluses, albeit significantly smaller than the $5.2 billion in black ink projected for the current fiscal year (2023/24).

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A Surrey, B.C. nurse has been suspended for five weeks for dishonesty and ignoring patients between November 2021 and July 2022.

A March 8 disciplinary decision from the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives said Harveer Rai made misrepresentations in her documentation and wasn’t honest with the employer.

In one case, Rai sat alone in a resident’s room for more than three hours, leaving all residents under her care unattended, stated the public notice.

In order to address the practice issues, the college said Rai has voluntarily agreed to:

• a five-week suspension of their nursing registration;

• a limit prohibiting them from working nightshift, orienting new staff, supervising staff, or working with students in a

• remedial education in documentation, ethics, and responsibility and accountability;

• developing a learning plan, which will be shared with their employer and the college; and;

• meeting with a regulatory practice consultant.

The college is one of 18 regulatory bodies empowered under the Health Professions Act to regulate health professions in B.C. It regulates the practice of four distinct professions: nursing, practical nursing, psychiatric nursing and midwifery.

Similar legislation in other self-regulated areas such as the legal and notary public professions also allows citizens to know about discipline issues in the public interest.

“The inquiry committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public,” the

Convicted Kelowna sex offender to stay in prison on new charges

Convicted child sex offender Taylor Dueck will remain behind bars for the time being. Dueck, who was charged in February with sexual touching of a person under the age of 16 and breaching his probation, has been in custody since his arrest. He’d applied for bail and a hearing on the matter was held on March 6. On Thursday, provincial court judge Michelle Danyluk denied Dueck release. The reasons for her decision, as well as all the details offered in the hearing, are under a publication ban.

Dueck will be in court next on March 21, and in the days and weeks ahead, his trial on recent charges will be scheduled.

Allegations that Dueck, a 29-year-old repeat sex offender, assaulted an 11-yearold girl at an equestrian centre where they were both taking lessons shocked the community and prompted a cry for change by the family at the heart of the case as well as multiple levels of government.

The lack of warning given before Dueck was released into Kelowna is of concern.

BC Indian clothing store on the hook for thousands in wedding outfit case

An Indian clothing boutique in BC was sued for thousands of dollars by a customer claiming they did not get their desired wedding outfit in time. Frontier Cloth House, located in Surrey, was sued for a refund of $3,790. In defence, an employee representing Frontier claimed that the outfit was ready but that the customer did not pick it up, denying that Frontier owed a refund. In January 2022, Inderdeep Deo ordered a custom, handembroidered wedding outfit from Frontier. The BC Civil Resolution Tribunal inferred that Frontier ordered the outfit from an Indian vendor.

Deo told the tribunal that she paid $1,800 in cash and $2,290 on her credit card for the outfit. According to the tribunal decision,

Deo said that when she went to pick up the outfit in April 2022, there were several problems, including the skirt being too long and the top being too large. She also claimed the colours were wrong.

Deo added to her claims, suggesting that Frontier agreed to order her a new outfit. It didn’t arrive in time, so she purchased a new one from a different outlet.

Frontier said that Deo didn’t try the outfit on until May 2022. It admitted that the skirt and sleeves were too long on the first outfit. Frontier went on to say that Deo didn’t ask for a second outfit until June 2022, and it warned Deo that the outfit could possibly not arrive on time. However, Frontier said the outfit did arrive before the wedding, which was in July.

DMJ Painting Ltd.

21-storey rental housing tower proposed near Main Street and 13th Avenue corner in Vancouver

Catalyzed by the prescriptions of the City’s new Broadway Plan, this is the first major high-rise tower proposal for Vancouver’s Main Street corridor south of East 12th Avenue.

On behalf of property owners Five Mile Holdings and Prospero International Realty, a new rezoning application has been submitted by JTA Development Consultants to redevelop 215-229 East 13th Avenue, which is located near the northeast corner of the intersection of Main Street and East 13th Avenue. For further area references, the Mount Pleasant location is also just east of Dairy Queen and 49th Parallel Cafe & Lucky’s Doughnuts. It is also a transitoriented development site, with the location just footsteps from bus stops served by

the frequent bus routes of Main Street and Kingsway, and about an eight-minute walk from SkyTrain’s future Mount Pleasant Station (intersection of East Broadway and Main Street).

Currently, the land assembly is occupied by a 1975-built “Vancouver Special” single-family house and a 1965-built, three-storey building with 25 apartment units. The proposal, designed by Studio One Architecture, calls for a 228-ft-tall, 21-storey, mixed-use tower with 100% secured purpose-built rental housing for the building’s residential component.

There will be 193 rental homes, including 154 market units and 39 below-market units.

The unit size mix is 74 studios, 49 onebedroom units, 50 two-bedroom units,

Stores sold individually with long-term fuel supply and well-known fuel and c-store brands.

Most stores sold with real estate!

and 20 threebedroom units. Shared amenity areas for residents will be situated on the fifth level, where there will be both indoor and outdoor spaces on the base podium’s rooftop, and on the tower rooftop, which will be completely dedicated as an outdoor amenity space. About 6,100 sq ft of retail/restaurant space will fully activate the building’s frontages with Watson Street to the west and East 13th Avenue to the south.

The ground-level commercial uses enhance the project’s extensive public realm, as a generous building setback will be established to create a corner plaza that wraps around the building’s street frontages.

MGM High students call for introduction of school counsellors and counselling sessions in the school curriculum

The students of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School are calling for school counsellors to include counselling sessions in the school curriculum as part of the review of the education curriculum to address mental, social and emotional challenges faced by students in the urban areas.

During the National Development Plan consultation held at the school, the students also suggested that the Government should ensure the successful implementation of the new development plan. They suggested that the plan must be adaptive to economic shocks and global crises and become futureready for new technological developments in the digital arena. Ministry of Finance Senior Economist Kamal Gounder says there can be professional counsellors in schools if more students are studying for these courses. Some students also suggested that there should be awareness programs in schools due to the

recent cases of drugs found in schools.

Gounder says they will consider the suggestions made by the students.

When responding to the questions on the high rate of migration and poverty due to unemployment, Gounder says there are a lot of employment opportunities for people, which is often advertised in the papers as well.

However, he says the problem is when people do not want to work.

Some students also suggested renewable energy and more investment in ICT to set up towers for better networks and connectivity.

Bainimarama and Qiliho found guilty by High Court

Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended commissioner of police Sitiveni Qiliho were today found guilty and have been convicted accordingly by the High Court in Suva.

Acting Chief Justice, Salesi Temo delivered his judgment after Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, John Rabuku filed an appeal against the acquittal of Mr Bainimarama and Mr Qiliho last month.

Mr Bainimarama has been convicted for one count of attempted to pervert the course of justice and Mr Qiliho for one count of abuse of office.

The State had filed eight grounds of appeal and reserves the right to amend, add or delete any grounds of appeal at the receipt of the court record.

Justice Temo has ordered Magistrate Seini Puamau to sentence the convicted persons on March 28.

Inmates clash at Gurdaspur jail, blast LPG cylinder; SHO among 4 cops hurt

The Gurdaspur police had to requisition the services of cops from adjoining police districts to control two groups of angry inmates at Gurdaspur central jail even as tear gas shells were used to bring things under control. Four policemen, including Dhariwal police station SHO Mandeep Salgotra, were injured.

The gravity of their injuries could not be ascertained as almost all top brass of the Gurdaspur police rushed to the jail and their mobile phones were switched off.

Navinder Singh, SP (Jails), was not present when the clash took place. It is said he was away to Chandigarh to attend a meeting.

The road leading to the jail premises was sealed around noon giving rise to

speculation that some VIP was paying a visit to the prison.

This was partly because of the fact that Punjab and Haryana High court judge Mahabir Singh Sindhu had visited the jail complex two days ago.

Locals were of the view that yet another VIP visit was on even as the police raised the security apparatus several notches higher.

It was only when the cops used tear gas shells that locals got to know that a clash was taking place among inmates. The high-decibel noise emanating from the jail complex after inmates blasted an LPG cylinder only added to the confusion.

Minutes after the clash had started, SSP Harish Dayama reached the prison.

AAP releases first list of 8 candidates for Lok Sabha election

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday released its first list of eight candidates for Punjab for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding five Cabinet ministers.

The state’s ruling party also named a former Congress MLA and a Punjabi actor as its candidates for the polls expected to be held April-May.

The AAP, which is a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, is contesting the parliamentary polls on its own in Punjab, which sends 13 members to the Lower House of Parliament.

“The Aam Aadmi Party proudly presents its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Punjab,” said the party in a post on X. The names of the candidates were announced by AAP national general

secretary Sandeep Pathak. According to the list released by the party, Cabinet ministers Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has been fielded from Amritsar, Laljit Singh Bhullar from Khadoor Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Khudian from Bathinda, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Sangrur and Dr Balbir Singh from Patiala. Dhaliwal, Bhullar, Khudian and Balbir Singh are first-time MLAs from Ajnala in Amritsar district, Patti in Tarn Taran district, Lambi in Muktsar district and Patiala Rural in Patiala district, respectively. Dhaliwal, who holds the portfolios of NRI affairs and administrative reforms in the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab, had unsuccessfully contested from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 parliamentary polls.

India’s elections are a mammoth undertaking

In India, around 970 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots during the upcoming election .

The vote will determine whether the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be elected a rare third consecutive term in power.

People eligible to vote in the world’s most populous country include 497 million male, 471 million female and 48,044 thirdgender electors, according to India’s Election Commission (EC), which is overseeing the gargantuan exercise in democracy.

Largest festival of democracy

More women than men have enrolled as new electors for the upcoming vote, said the poll panel, and over 20 million voters aged 18 to 29 have been added to the electoral roll.

Voters will cast their ballots in one of the 1.25 million booths, spread across densely populated megacities and far-flung villages, overseen by 15 million election officials across the 28 states and nine union territories.

India’s electoral rules say there must be a polling station within 2 kilometers (about 1.2 miles) of every habitation.

In addition, the EC will fan out a whole gamut of observers to ensure the fairness of the ballot.

Thousands of Indian farmers protest in New Delhi demanding a law guaranteeing minimum crop prices

Thousands of farmers protested in India’s capital on Thursday to press their demand for a new law that would guarantee minimum crop prices, after weeks of being blocked from entering the city.

They rode crowded buses and trains instead of their tractors to New Delhi after authorities barricaded highways into the capital with cement blocks and barbed wire. Police also banned use of farm vehicles as a condition for granting permission for the rally in the city. Participants were also barred from carrying sticks or swords to avoid clashes with police.

The protesters held placards demanding free electricity for farming. They contended

that without minimum price guarantees for their crops, they would be at the mercy of the markets and that would spell disaster, especially for the more than two-thirds of them who own less than 1 hectare (2 1/2 acres) of land.

The rally, organized by the United Farmers Front, was held at Ramlila Ground, which is used for religious festivals, major political meetings and entertainment events.

Police also set a condition for the rally that no more than 5,000 people would participate, the Press Trust of India news agency said. The rally was scheduled to end later Thursday.

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China Before Communism

Countdown is on: Anticipation builds for Shen Yun’s return to Vancouver

With just a few days to go before Shen Yun graces the stage at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre, organizers say tickets to the renowned performance are selling fast. Shen Yun has been playing in Vancouver since 2006 and is now one of the city’s most beloved and anticipated spectacles.Formed by Chinese artists living in the United States, its mission is to revive the Middle Kingdom’s rich 5,000-year-old culture.

The New York-based company has become a global phenomenon due to its authentic depiction of China’s traditional culture through music and dance. Itcurrently has eight companies, each with its own orchestra, that tour simultaneously across four continents every year.

Shen Yun will begin its tour of Canada in March, playing in nine cities across the country. The company will play seven shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from March 20–25.

Shen Yun features performances in classical Chinese dance, ethnic dances, and vocal soloists, all accompanied by a live orchestra that blends traditional Western and Chinese instruments. Vividly animated backdrops extend the stage, transporting audiences to another place and time.

Audience members often say they feel a sense of inspiration and hope after seeing Shen Yun. Its tour of Canada in 2023 drew many appreciative comments from audience members.

“It was just done so, so professionally that I was simply immersed. … It really touched me on different levels—mind, body and soul,” said Maria Marchyshyn, a political analyst who attended the show at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

Flora Karas, an actress and business owner who saw the performance at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver, had similar praise.

“The show is so filled with light. It’s exactly what this city needed. We needed to hear the story. We needed to see the dancing. We needed to feel it in our bones. It’s absolutely the best thing that we could have had,” she said.

“It’s impeccable.”

There’s not much time left, so be sure not to miss this captivating show!

Round-trip shuttle service is available from Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal on March 21, 23, 24, and 25, 2024. Time: 10:30 a.m. 4:45 p.m. Cost: $25 plus GST.

For more information on the shuttle service and to buy tickets, please visit

https://www.shenyun.com/vancouver

“Really out of this world! The words to describe it might be ‘divine,’ ‘reborn,’ and ‘hope.’ See it to believe it!”

—Coral Drouyn, theater critic

“Unbelievable.

a

release of urban studio, 1 & 2 bedroom homes in Surrey City Centre.