www.theasianstar.com
Vol 19 - Issue 19
Saturday, June 6, 2020
South Asian couple murdered in India while awaiting opportunity to return home to Calgary A Calgary couple who were trying to get home after being stranded in India during the COVID-19 pandemic were found dead on the weekend, leaving family and friends in northeast Calgary in shock. Kirpal Minhas, 67, and his wife, Davinder Minhas, 65, were visiting Phagwara in the Punjab region of northern India, where they owned property. They’d been there
since November. F a m i l y members say the couple were victims of a violent robbery at one of their properties on May 29. News coverage in India, including a report by The Times of India, suggest the two were stabbed and strangled. They were trying to get back to Calgary but flights had been cancelled due to
Continued on page 6
Slow start to spring forecasted to lead to above average summer for BC - Weather Network Most Canadians may have missed out on spring, but one of the country’s most prominent weather forecasters says they’ll likely get to enjoy a more seasonal summer. The Weather Network is calling for slightly warmer than normal temperatures across most of the country, with Ontario and Quebec slated for the longest stretches of significant heat. But Chief Meteorologist Chris Scott says the summery conditions in central Canada may come with a price, predicting precipitation levels somewhat above seasonal norms throughout June, July and August. Scott says the season may get off to a slow start in the Atlantic provinces, but forecasts more typical summer weather patterns towards
the end of June as well as above average storm activity throughout the region. He’s also expecting to see higher precipitation across much of the prairies, noting the same weather that may complicate spring planting for regional farmers is slated to give way to favourable harvest conditions by season’s end. Scott says a cooler month of June in British Columbia and the Yukon is expected to lead to temperatures that are slightly above seasonal norms, while average temperatures in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories are projected to fall below levels recorded in a typical summer.
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What you need to know about COVID-19 in BC The latest: Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported nine new cases Thursday and no new deaths. Henry is presenting new epidemiological models Thursday. As of Thursday, there have been 2,632 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C 166 people have died.2,265 people who tested positive have recovered. 26 people are in hospital, including six in intensive care. There are 201 active cases of the virus across B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported Thursday that nine new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in B.C. There were no new deaths reported. So far, B.C. has detected 2,632 cases of Continued on page 9
South Asian COVID-19 survivor warns people to remains vigilant after 8-week hospital stay Atish Ram, 58, is reminding British Columbians that the pandemic isn’t over and the disease can be devastating. When Atish Ram, 58, was admitted to Royal Columbian Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, he had a neat, white goatee. When he was finally discharged 54 days later, he sported an impressive white beard. The unchecked growth of facial hair marked the time stolen by the disease, but it was the 30 pounds he lost, the shortness of breath, the coughing and the oxygen
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Charges laid in crash that killed Vancouver Whitecaps prospect Brandon Bassi A 19-year-old man has been charged in a fatal collision that took the life of a Vancouver Whitecaps prospect last spring. Brandon Bassi, then 19, died when the Jeep he was a passenger in crashed at the intersection of 78 Avenue and 122 Street, around 12:30 a.m. on May 18, 2019. Six people were in the Jeep when it crashed. Three other people were taken to hospital, two of them in serious condition. At the time of the crash, police said two people fled the scene but were later identified. Surrey Continued on page 9
Ottawa to become 1st Canadian city to make masks ‘mandatory’ on transit Ottawa will become the first city in Canada to officially require passengers and staff on its public transit system to wear masks, but no one will be barred from boarding a bus or train if they’re not.In a 10-1 vote Monday afternoon, the city’s transit commission approved OC Transpo’s plan to make mandatory the wearing of non-medical masks or some other sort of face covering. Only citizen commissioner
Michael Olsen, who said he believes maskwearing should be voluntary, voted against the initiative. However, for what is being billed as a mandatory program, there appears to be little to no enforcement planned. “We’re not going to have mask police,” the city’s general manager of transit, John Manconi, told the commission. “Yes, we can invoke fines and so forth, but that’s not what we’re going to be doing. We’re going to be asking everybody to do their part to help
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the City of Ottawa get the pandemic under control, to recover the economy, to get people B.A. (Hons.), MA., LLB to their essential places of employment and to move about the city.” Manconi said no passenger will be denied boarding on an OC Transpo bus or train, ParaTranspo mini-van SRS Panorama or accessible taxi, although operators and Realty other staff working at transit stations will be Suite #103 - 12030, 80 Ave, required to wear masks. Surrey, BC
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