www.theasianstar.com Vol 21 - Issue 8
Canadians to be prepared of new Covid-19 wave As provinces lift COVID-19 public health measures, some experts are warning that Canada may experience another wave of infections this spring, with wastewater data in many regions showing an uptick in cases due in part to the Omicron subvariant BA.2. Officials in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and B.C. say wastewater analysis suggests COVID-19 infections are beginning to climb again. However, experts say it’s not yet clear whether Canada’s next wave will be a surge or a ripple. Infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch said. on Thursday that current modelling data suggests parts of Canada may experience a “bump” in cases this spring. “It could be a wave, it could be a smaller wave… It’s not entirely clear what’s on deck, but we’ll probably have a rise in cases and we know that whenever there’s a rise in cases, there’s usually this corresponding rise, sadly, in hospitalizations and deaths,” Bogoch said.
24-year-old man charged in Ontario mosque attack According to Peel Regional Police, a man is now facing multiple charges after attacking congregants with bear spray at the Dar AlTawheed Islamic Centre on Saturday, March 19. The man, who was also brandishing a small axe, was quickly subdued by members of the mosque until police arrived. Twenty-four-year-old Mohammad Moiz Omar from Mississauga has been charged with the following offences: assault with a weapon, administering a noxious substance with intent to endanger life or cause bodily harm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, uttering threat to cause death or bodily harm, carrying concealed weapon, and mischief to religious property. More charges could follow as the investigation continues. Superintendent Rob Higgs, Commander of 12 Division, said that Omar is being held pending bail hearing and has appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. “At this point the only injuries we’re aware of from the incident are from Continued on page 7
Saturday, March 26, 2022
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Canada set to get new dental care & pharmacare program as part of Liberal - NDP deal
Seattle startup claims India-based drugmaker stole COVID-19 vaccine tech, seeks $950M
Thanks to a new deal between Justin Trudeau’s Liberals and the NDP, a new national dental care program to support low-income Canadians could be just around the corner. On Tuesday, March 22, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his party had made a supply and confidence agreement with Jagmeet Singh’s NDP to keep the current government in power until 2025. In exchange for NDP support, the Liberals have agreed to take action on a number of key NDP priorities — including national dental care and universal pharmacare programs. On Tuesday, Jagmeet Singh described the move as “the biggest expansionofhealthcareinageneration”and,perCBCNews,saiditwould make “a massive difference for health and for people’s quality of life.”
Seattle vaccine company HDT Bio is seeking nearly $1 billion in a new lawsuit alleging that an India-based drugmaker stole HDT’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine technology. The complaint, filed Monday in federal court in Seattle, asks for at least $950 million in damages from Emcure Pharmaceuticals, and an order banning its use of HDT’s technology. Emcure, based in Pune, India, violated laws against the theft of trade secrets, the lawsuit claims. It also alleges that Emcure is using the trade secrets to support its filing for an initial public offering. “Emcure posed as a good-faith partner and fellow crusader in HDT’s global health mission. In reality, however, Emcure viewed HDT’s philanthropic orientation as an opportunity to seize HDT’s secrets and the fruit of decades of its scientists’ labor,” said HDT in the suit.
Prime Minister Trudeau strikes surprise deal to keep power until 2025 Canada’s ruling Liberal Party and opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) have reached a surprise agreement that aims to keep the minority government in power until 2025, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday. Governments with a minority of seats in parliament, like the one Trudeau now leads, tend to last an average of about two years, but this rare agreement could permit it to last the entire four-year term, Trudeau said. “What this means is that during this uncertain time, the government can function with predictability and stability, present and implement budgets, and get things done for Canadians,” Trudeau said.
Demolition of Frontier Cloth House is a huge shift for Punjabi Market Even though the Frontier Cloth House building was abandoned on for ten or so years, the building finally being demolished makes the South Vancouver neighbourhood feel markedly different. Located at 6695 Main Street, Frontier used to be a fixture in Punjabi Market. The people behind Frontier were part of a wave of business owners in the neighbourhood who decided to move their businesses to Surrey thanks to the increasing cost of housing in Vancouver, in combination with other financial factors. It didn’t help that a lot of the South Asian community in the area also decided to move Continued on page 7
The two parties published a list of priorities they had agreed upon. The Liberals agreed to back a national dental-care program for low-income Canadians and to move forward on a national
prescription-drug coverage program, both cornerstone campaign pledges for the NDP. The Liberals and New Democrats also said they would develop a plan to phase out financing for the fossil fuel sector, starting in 2022. Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, will be able to deliver on his main campaign promises, like fighting climate change or addressing a national housing shortage. “We have a document ... that will be used to analyze and verify the government’s actions,” New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters. “We will use our power to help people.”
Update from MLA Fleming and the provincial NDP
Harvinder Sandhu
The BC NDP government held a press conference to update Surrey residents on the infrastructure and transportation progress being made by the NDP for the residents of Surrey. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Rob Fleming, chaired this roundtable, answering many questions. To start off he acknowledged that
Surrey is the fastest growing city in this region and the province with 1000 immigrants moving here every month. He stated to keep pace with this growth, the city’s infrastructure needed to be updated or replaced, especially Pattullo Bridge. “I looked at the previous government and they had no plan, let alone any funding to replace this Continued on page 15
MANMOHAN SEKHON M.Sc., M.Phill Life and Health insurance Advisor
604-358-0590 Unit 252 - 8138, 128 St, Surrey, BC V3W 1R1 www.manmohansekhon.com