The Asian Star September 29 2015

www.theasianstar.com Vol 14

All the news you need and more...

Issue 35 Saturday, September 26, 2015

Deepika in film ‘ Tamasha’

Volkswagen Canada halts some sales as emissions rigging scandal deepens

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bollywood Page

Surrey shootings a ‘public safety crisis’: BC NDP

Check Inside for Details

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he provincial NDP believes a string of shootings in Surrey represent a “crisis of public safety” and wants Premier Christy Clark to get involved.

Opposition leader John Horgan, justice critic Mike Farnworth and Surrey NDP MLAs Harry Bains (pictured) and Sue Hammell wrote to Clark’s office Wednesday.

“It is the provincial government’s responsibility to take immediate steps to restore order and public safety,” the letter reads. “We request that you immediately ask the RCMP, as provided for in the 2012 RCMP Agreements, to re-

Most Canadians agree with Tories over niqab ban: poll

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esults of a taxpayer-funded poll that suggest there is wide support for the Conservative position on banning veils during citizenship ceremonies were publicly released Thursday before a federal election debate in Montreal where the niqab was expected to be an issue. It’s the latest survey to suggest strong support for such a ban.

The Privy Council Office (PCO) poll found Quebecers, in particular, were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea. The results were released Thursday because federal law requires all fiContinued on page 7

deploy resources from throughout the country to respond to the Surrey crisis. Families in Surrey cannot wait the months required to train new RCMP officers.”

There have been as many as 44 shootings and three homicides in Surrey so far this year, many of them linked to an ongoing dispute between two drug trafficking groups.

One of the shootings last week happened outside Strawberry Hill Elementary School, which was struck by bullets.

The NDP also calls for an RCMP task force to deal with the gun violence and for the creation of a Surrey Accord, similar to Vancouver’s charter.

Continued on page 6

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Religious reasons behind South Asian Professor’s refusal to help student

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anee Panjabi, the Memorial University professor accused of discriminating against a hard-of-hearing student, says a centre that helps disabled students failed to notify her about William Sears before the two met in a St. John’s classroom this month Sears took his complaints about Panjabi public after she refused to wear an FM transmitter while she taught her history of espionage course. Panjabi hand-delivered a three-page written statement that explains her side of the controversy — which has attracted international

Mrs Harper takes a break to shop for Punjabi suit in Surrey Shruti Prakash-Joshi ederal elections are tough business, but exciting too, at least Mrs. Laureen Harper, wife of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and leader of the Conservative Party certainly thinks so. Mrs. Harper, along with her husband, has been on the campaign trail for almost a month now and doesn’t show signs of tiredness one bit. She was in Surrey last Sunday, furthering the Conservative cause at Armaan Designs Ltd., a boutique store at Payal Business centre in Surrey. Earlier she was at the campaign office of Fleetwood - Port Kells MP, Nina Grewal. Mrs. Harper toured the store and was fascinated by the glittering wedding lehengas, saris, suits and other Indian parapher-

Tel: 604-591-5423

attention about accommodating students in the classroom — and says she has been treated terribly. “In these days of instantaneous communication, conclusions drawn with no prior thought or reflection, I was reviled, vilified, abused, threatened and subject to a display of a lynch mob, a witch hunt and a three-ring circus,” Panjabi (pictured) wrote.

“I think that at the moment, given what I have gone through in the last few days, Continued on page 7

owner. Mrs. Harper asked many questions about the store and Indian clothes and emphasized that because of the numerous trade deals that the Conservative Party has done with many countries, small businesses like Armaan are flourishing here. “It’s all about trade. And in the last many years our government has made significant progress in inking trade deals with many countries,’ she said. Talking about the campaign trail itself, she said it was an amazingly rewarding experience, meetLaureen Harper (third from left) with MP Nina Grewal and her husband and former MP Gurmant Grewal (right) at Nina’s campaign office. ing so many Canadians of diverse backgrounds. “If it nalia at the store. She was presented with wasn’t for public life, I would never have had a beautiful blue (no surprise there) suit, dea chance to meet and know so many people signed in Mumbai by Devi Bains-Gill store Continued on page 6

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Local

Local fire fighters union endorses

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Harjit Sajjan in Vancouver South

ocal Vancouver fire fighters are backing Harjit Sajjan as their choice to represent the riding of Vancouver South in the next Canadian Parliament.

“Vancouver Fire Fighters’ Local 18 is proud to endorse Harjit Sajjan for election as the MP for Vancouver South,” states Local 18 president, Rob Weeks. “Harjit’s understanding of community service and the sacrifice first responders make in their work lives, comes from experience. As a Vancouver

Police officer and a Canadian soldier, Harjit has served our community and country, and is now seeking to continue that service to community as a Member of Parliament.”

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Maple Ridge businesses oppose location of new homeless shelter

he emergency shelter will be set up to address the homeless camp that sprung up behind a Salvation Army in Maple Ridge in May. Some Maple Ridge businesses are angry over the location of the new emergency shelter.The temporary emergency shelter, operated by RainCity Housing, will open it’s doors on October 1st.

“Put a permanent shelter that is not going to impact the downtown core that is already crumbling and falling apart,” said said Robert Jeglum of CB Yard Services at a forum last night about the new shelter, “put something on the outskirts.”

RainCity Housing says while a permanent shelter would be great, they need to take swift action to relocate the homeless residents of a camp that sprung up along Cliff Avenue last May, and this was the best location they could find.

Jeglum fears customers will be deterred

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from shopping in the area. He suspects theft, vandalism and drug use will rise because of the 40-bed temporary shelter that will be located in a former Sleep Shop building located on 222nd and Lougheed Highway.

But operators of the shelter say that won’t be the case.

“The basic needs are met within that site, so the chances are the stability and quality of life is obviously going to improve,” said Sean Spear, associate director of RainCity Housing, Homelessness has been an ongoing issue in Maple Ridge.

Recently, Maple Ridge asked B.C. Housing to end a contract with the city’s Salvation Army branch, claiming the current shelter did not provide adequate services for the city’s burgeoning homeless population.

Deepa Mehta at Surrey film screening

his year’s Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) will include a special appearance by noted Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta and the screening of her films at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus on Monday (Sept. 28).

Presented by VIFF, SFU Woodward’s Cultural programs and the Surrey campus, the event will include a live interview with the Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director and producer, prior to the screening of two films – Heaven on Earth and Earth.

Considered one of the most provocative and exciting new directors to make her mark on world cinema at the turn of the millennium, the Toronto-based filmmaker is known for her rich, complex explorations of the cultural taboos and tensions at play in the society of her native India. Beginning with the controversial film Fire in 1996, Mehta embarked on her ambitious trilogy of the elements: fire, earth and water. Earth, the trilogy’s second instalment, was released in 1998. Born in India in 1950, Mehta received a degree in philosophy from the University of New Delhi. After immigrating to Canada in 1973, she embarked on her professional cinematic career as a script-

writer for children’s films, and in 1991, she made her feature-film debut as a director and producer with Sam & Me. Heaven on Earth a.k.a. Videsh is a 2008 Canadian film directed and written by Mehta. Preity Zinta plays the leading role of Chand, a young Indian Punjabi woman who finds herself in an abusive arranged marriage with an Indo-Canadian man, played by actor Vansh Bhardwaj. The film was released in India dubbed into Hindi under the title Videsh. Earth, which was adapted from Bapsi Sidhwa’s novel, Cracking India, premiered at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. It was set amongst the catastrophic turmoil that accompanied the 1947 partition of India from Pakistan. Mehta’s films have received significant awards and recognition at major film festivals and have been distributed around the world. In 2012, Mehta received a lifetime Artistic Achievement Award for Film from the Governor General of Canada. In 2013, she was appointed to the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada for her work. This year’s VIFF will feature Mehta’s latest film Beeba Boys, Vancouver’s answer to Goodfellas. VIFF takes place in Vancouver until Oct. 9 at various venues, including 80 screenings at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. For more information, visit www.viff.

Local Religious reasons behind South Asian Professor’s refusal to help student

From page 1 I really need a little breather,” Panjabi said. morial.”

Student ‘walked out’ On their first meet“I have said what I need to say, and I think that’s all I really want to say.” In her state- ing in class, Panjabi said she was “surprised” ment, Panjabi said she had not been informed when Sears asked her to wear the transmitter of Sears’s needs in advance of the Sept. 10 to lecture, as they had been able to have a faceclass by the Blundon Centre, a university-run to-face conversation without using it. She said service that works with disabled students. “I she explained to Sears that she would not use was blindsided by the manager of the Blun- the device, but she could look for alternatives. don Centre who apparently did not inform the She wrote that “he abruptly said that it was student either that my courses were taught in a not satisfactory and walked out.” “I was comunique, innovative manner and some advance pletely taken aback, as I am used to students setup time would prepare everyone involved being courteous enough to listen, not rebuff for his full participation in the course,” Panja- a discussion in that regrettable manner” Panbi wrote. Panjabi said that she had had con- jabi wrote. Sears maintains Panjabi, who spoke tact with the Blundon Centre, but “I received with the NTV television network on Friday, the invitation after the situation had erupted. I has distorted what happened in the classroom received their information, but not sufficient- that day. Sears, who dropped Panjabi’s course, ly.” Sears, however, has produced emails be- has filed a human rights complaint, while other tween himself and the Blundon Centre that former students have come out to share simishow Panjabi had not responded to the cen- lar experiences with the professor.

The university has apologized to Sears and tre’s emails about Sears’s requirements.

When asked for comment on the Blundon is reviewing the agreement with Panjabi, which Centre’s communications with Panjabi, Me- Panjabi called an “accord” that “provides for morial University president Gary Kachanoski an enhanced learning environment for any said in a brief statement that the administra- hearing-impaired student, while protecting my tion is conducting an internal review. “We ex- rights as well.” Meanwhile, Panjabi says she pect the review will happen quickly and it will wants to focus on the courses she is teaching.

“I’m trying very hard to keep this thing be transparent in its findings, while respecting dignified, and to get on with my job, because individual privacy as dictated by legislation,” my students are what matter,” she said. MeKachanoski wrote. Panjabi accuses student morial University of Newfoundland says an of ‘selective amnesia’ Panjabi said she also agreement made with Ranee Panjabi in 1996 explained to Sears on Sept. 10 that she does means the professor does not have to wear an not put FM transmitters on her person for FM transmitter to accommodate students with religious reasons — she has in the past cited mysticism rooted in her Hindu beliefs — and hearing impairments. The St. John’s professor that she had a legally binding agreement with has had a deal for nearly 20 years that states the university. Memorial is now reviewing that she doesn’t need to wear the device. Cecilia 1996 agreement, which the university signed Reynolds, deputy provost students at Memoso that Panjabi would withdraw a human rial University, said that the university had aprights complaint. In the statement, Panjabi parently forgotten about the deal made with said Sears’s version of events from Sept. 10 Panjabi. “Unfortunately, we recently learned “regretfully displayed flashes of selective am- that there was an accommodation reached with nesia.” Panjabi said another accommodation the faculty member in that class in 1996 and could have been reached for Sears that would that accommodation meant that she would not have “required just about an hour of the stu- be asked to wear the particular technological dent’s time with our technical experts at Me- device that he [William Sears] required for his hearing needs,” said Reynolds.

City of Surrey receives two Excellence Awards from UBCM

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he Union of B.C. Municipalities gave the City of Surrey two Best Practices awards this week during its annual convention in Vancouver.

Surrey received the Excellence in Action award for its street light copper wire replacement program and the Community Connection award for the MySurrey and Surrey Request apps.

The annual awards aim to showcase local governments who take risks to in-

novate, establish new partnerships, challenge established ways or doing business and pioneer new customer service practices. Award applications were received from communities throughout the province and members of the UBCM executive board were joined by experts to evaluate submissions.

The UBCM was formed in 1905 to provide a common voice for local government.

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Premier Christy Clark puts emphasis on economy in speech to municipal leaders

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remier Christy Clark focussed on the economy, jobs and the goal of a debt-free B.C. in her speech to the Union of B.C. Municipalities this morning in Vancouver. She told the UBCM that B.C.’s operating debt would be eliminated in four years, the first time since 1975.

Current infrastructure projects across the province will bring 150,000 jobs, 10,000 of those provided by Site C alone, Clark said. She chided those in leadership roles who refused to take a position on Site C, saying that it’s not leadership to say you are not sure when asked about the future of LNG. Turning to crime, she said it was time to

get tough on criminals, and the roots of crime, promising $5 million to shore up the Guns and Crime initiative.

Clark also said more than 70 communities would benefit from a new program to expand high-speed Internet access in rural and remote areas.

The premier received a standing ovation after announcing a $75-million investment to help reinvigorate the economies of rural communities with a population under 25,000 people.

Cities vote against carbon tax hike Municipal leaders have decided against asking the province to resume regular increases in B.C.’s carbon tax in the name of fighting climate change.

Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention narrowly defeated the motion from New Westminster on Thursday, with 52.4 per cent voting no on Thursday.

The tax has been frozen at $30 per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions since 2012 – equivalent to about seven cents a litre on gasoline. The tax also applies to natural gas, coal and other fossil fuels.

The proposal called for increases of $5 per tonne each year for five years, followed by a review. It also urged the province to break from i t s policy of making the t a x revenue-neutral and u s e the extra revenue to support emission-reduction projects.

“It’s a sure-fire way to create a balance between the cost of renewables and the cost of carbon,” said Vancouver Coun. Adriane Carr, who warned this summer’s extreme drought and smoke from forest fires will be “our new future.”

But Prince Rupert Coun. Barry Cunningham cautioned a major increase in carbon tax would unfairly drive up the cost of living in northern B.C. “If you live up north, everything is trucked up there,” he said. “This

would add a lot to all our food and everything else that’s trucked up.”

Other delegates argued the carbon tax should go up by more than $5 a year and it should be expanded to target untaxed carbon emissions sources, such as methane escaping from landfills and fugitive emissions from LNG production and other industrial a c t i v i t y.

Mission Mayor Randy Hawes, a former B.C. Liberal MLA, said any hike in the carbon tax should continue to be dedicated to personal and corporate income tax cuts.

B.C.’s carbon tax was introduced in 2008 and attracted international interest as a potential model for reducing emissions.

A climate leadership team appointed this year by the province is to advise the government on further steps for cutting emissions.

Several demands for funding and tax policy changes did pass at UBCM. Delegates voted to urge the province to increase its corporate income tax rate by one per cent and send the extra revenue to local governments.

Some called that idea dangerous, but advocates said municipalities are too dependent on property taxes and need an extra revenue source to rebuild infrastructure.

Civic leaders also voted to urge the province to create a seismic upgrading fund by reallocating $190 million per year of the $450 million in tax it collects on property and vehicle insurance premiums.

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By Teresa Wat Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism

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earning from the past to prevent future discrimination was on the lesson plan

OPINION

B.C. helps to right historical wrongs with new curriculum addition when I joined the back-to-school crowd earlier this month to introduce a new curriculum supplement for grades 5 and 10 students: Bamboo Shoots: Chinese Canadian Legacies in BC. As the most ethnically diverse province in Canada, British Columbia is known for its multiculturalism and respect for people of different cultures and

backgrounds - in fact, that is partly why my family emigrated here over 25 years ago. But it wasn’t always this way. Early Chinese pioneers came to British Columbia because they heard that B.C. welcomed diversity.

But when more than 15,000 Chinese arrived during the early 1880s, they were denied the rights and privileges of other immigrants, including citizenship. This was a shameful chapter for B.C. and that’s why, in 2014, a formal apology on behalf of all members of the B.C. legislature was made to Chinese Canadians for historical wrongs by past governments. At provincewide consultations, we asked British Columbians what the apology should look like and the overwhelming consensus at every forum was the need to integrate this forgotten chapter of B.C.’s Chinese Canadian history into our educational curriculum. Starting this year, a dark chapter of B.C.’s history is explored in new online lesson plans and teaching tools titled Bamboo Shoots. The classroom materials reflect B.C.’s rich multicultural heritage and the immense social, cultural and economic contributions Chinese Canadians made to the development of British Columbia. I am especially proud of the vivid tapestry of stories that are woven within the curriculum’s lesson plans. Photos, archival poems and even a printable card game bring the history of B.C. to life, challenging students to consider the deep roots of discrimination and the long- term effects it has on all British Columbians. With the help of B.C. teachers, Open School BC, the Royal British Columbia Museum and the Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council, my ministry is proud of the collaboration and historical knowledge that went into Bamboo Shoots. The supplement is also accessible to the general public, ensuring global audiences can also learn from this chapter of B.C.’s history. We can’t undo the past but we can move forward and leave a legacy for future generations to learn from. Bamboo Shoots will help today’s generation ensure that the wrongful acts of the past are not repeated in B.C.’s future.

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LOCAL

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Surrey shootings a ‘public safety crisis’: BC NDP

he letter, signed by Horgan and NDP MLA Harrry Bains among others, states “A crisis of public safety exists in Surrey.

In 2015, Surrey citizens have experienced as many as 44 shooting incidents and three murders. Shootings have continued since the summer including one as recently as last week.

Just a few days ago, the Strawberry Hill Elementary School building was hit by bullets. Fortunately, children who could easily have been playing on the grounds were not there at that moment. The bullets pierced three walls in a neighboring home, and according to media reports, narrowly missed the occupants.

Residents of Surrey tell us that they are living in fear and feel abandoned by senior levels of government. It is the provincial government’s responsibility to take immediate steps to restore order and public safety. Despite the repeated promises of 100 additional RCMP officers, there are far fewer on the ground.

We request that you immediately ask the RCMP, as provided for in the 2012 RCMP Agreements, to redeploy resources from throughout the country to respond to the Surrey crisis. Families in Surrey cannot wait the months required to train new RCMP officers.

Secondly, we call for a dedicated internal RCMP task force to work full time on ending this epidemic of gun violence. It is astonishing that despite the ongoing shootings and the level of public alarm, effective action has not been taken to stop the violence.

These are actions that can and should be taken immediately. In addition we reiterate our call for a Surrey Accord to bring together all levels of government to develop comprehensive long-term solutions.

It is clear that past policing resources and current initiatives have failed to keep Surrey families safe. Urgent action is needed.

Mrs Harper takes a break to shop for Punjabi suit in Surrey from various parts of the country,” she said. Earlier, Laureen Harper also attended a ‘Meet and Greet’ event amongst excited supporters at Nina Grewal’s campaign headquarters to highlight Conser-

vative accomplishments and talk with the campaign team and supporters.

reen, who wanted to remind people that their support for the campaign in Fleetwood-Port Kells is vital to the protection of our economy. Only our Conservative Government can be trusted to manage the Canadian economy and protect our

Mrs Harper (right) checking out an Anarkali suit in a Surrey store

She discussed the positive impact that the proven leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has had. “Nina has been a very hardworking MP and we need her in Ottawa,” said Laureen Harper. “The campaign event yesterday was a great opportunity to connect with business leaders, supporters and members of our community to celebrate the success of our party’s proven leadership in protecting the economy,” said Nina Grewal. “It was also an occasion to hear from my good friend Lau-

aman@ewfinancial.ca

jobs and standard of living.”

“I am proud of my record of getting tough on crime and legislation that I have proposed has already become law; particularly, raising the age of consent from 14 to 16 years, protecting children from child pornography and from sex-tourism, personal identity theft, terrorist activity, minimum and tougher sentencing for major sexual assault, regulations on controlled drugs and substances, among others,” said Mrs. Grewal.

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Most Canadians agree with Tories over niqab From page 1 final reports of public opinion research paid support were varied, with the most common for by taxpayers to be published within six answer in the poll being the need for identimonths of data collection. The Privy Council fication. The poll has a margin of error of — the bureaucracy serving the prime minister plus or minus 1.8 percentage points, 19 times — carried out the survey in March. While the out of 20. In 12 focus groups conducted at niqab ban wound up being part of the election the same time, participants gave more context narrative because of a Federal Court of Appeal to why they supported the ban. “Participants ruling last that week upheld a February Federal felt that those who attended such ceremonies Court decision declaring the rule unlawful, it’s needed to be clearly identifiable and did not flared up several times in recent months. The think it made sense that someone should be PCO poll was conducted by Leger between able to hide their face,� said Leger’s report.

March 12 and 25. The calls to 3,000 Canadians “Other participants felt that this was first and were made the week after the Conservatives foremost a value-based issue. To them, this filed their appeal of the Federal Court decision. was about new immigrants embracing CanaRight before the survey began, Harper had dian values when being welcomed as new citcalled the niqab a product of a culture that izens. Removing their niqab or burka was the is anti-woman, while Liberal Leader Justin normal thing to do in Canada and therefore, Trudeau had given a major speech on liber- the Canadian government was right in issuty in politics. Participants in the survey were ing this direction about showing their faces.� asked, “Do you support or oppose a require- The survey also sheds some light on Canament that people show their face during Cana- dians’ point of view on other hot button isdian citizenship ceremonies?� Eighty-two per sues likely to surface during the leaders debate cent of those surveyed supported the require- on foreign policy on Monday. The findings ment, 15 per cent opposed and four per cent suggested half those polled oppose Canada didn’t know or refused to answer. Support was sending weapons or supplies to the Ukrainian highest in Quebec at 93 per cent and lowest in government to help in its struggle with Russia, British Columbia at 72 per cent. Reasons for though 50 per cent support sending Canadian soldiers to train Ukrainian forces.

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Darpan Magazine’s Sixth Extraordinary Achievements Awards Gala was attended by a large crowd last week at Aria banquet hall in Surrey besides Ajay Bhatt, the co-inventor of the USB and who was the guest of honor and the recipient of the International Sensation award , nine other stellar South Asians were honored at the gala. They were Young Wonder - Aishwarya Roshan Artistic Visionary - Cassius Khan Industry Marvel - Wally Oppal Advancing Philanthropy - Mamta Foundation Community Crusader - Rob Rai Corporate Engagement - Ratana Stephens Breaking Barriers - Steven Purewal Heritage Defender - Naveen Girn Spirit of Sport - Sahil Sandhu.

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Devotees praying on the occasion of Shri Ganesh Chaturthi at the Hindu Temple in Burnaby on September 20. Photo by Chandra Bodalia

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Saturday, September 26, 2015 i 9

Shri Hanuman Religious and Cultural Society celebrated Shri Ganesh Chaturthi on September 17 and also donated $1, 0000 to the BC Children’s Hospital on this occasion.

Photo by Chandra Bodalia

B.C.’s local governments vote for power over pot shops despite federal stance

ocal governments in British Columbia have declared they have the authority to licence medical marijuana dispensaries, defying the federal government’s opposition to regulation of the illegal stores.

Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention voted in favour of a resolution endorsing the position that they have the power to regulate pot dispensaries.

The resolution states that an ongoing court challenge of Ottawa’s medical marijuana laws has created uncertainty while pot shops proliferate and cause problems in B.C. Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal said the vote sends a strong message to the federal government, which has not provided reasonable legal access to medical marijuana despite court rulings requiring them to do so.

“We have to do it because they’re not doing their job. They are continuing to be at odds with the federal courts,” she said after the vote.

“That leaves cities in the untenable position of not being able to deal with a product that is legal, yet opposed by the federal government. We have to use the controls and the tools that we have.”

Vancouver recently became the first city in Canada to approve regulation of its 100 marijuana shops, imposing a $30,000 licence fee and requiring the shops to locate 300 metres from schools, community centres and each other. Victoria is considering similar rules.

Municipalities in B.C. already have the power to regulate land use through bylaws,

but the resolution marks a symbolic strike against the federal government’s handling of medical pot.

Corisa Bell, a Maple Ridge councillor and president of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association — which brought the resolution — told the crowd of local politicians that something needed to be done to curb the explosion of illegal stores.

“This rapid growth of unregulated businesses poses a significant risk to our youth, public health, and has an impact on our local economy,” she said.

“If, however, they are carefully managed and regulated, these businesses can play a role in improving the health conditions that

Last night’s Lotto Max jackpot was an all-time high of $60 million The Lotto-Max lottery will made history last night by offering an estimated jackpot of $60 million for the first time. Ticket buyers could also win one of 25 Maxmillions prizes worth $1 million each. The $60 million jackpot follows six weeks in which the main Lotto-Max prize went unclaimed.

During that period, the jackpot went from $12 million on Aug. 14 to $55 million last Friday. The last major Lotto-Max jackpot worth $50 million was won on Aug. 7 by a ticket purchased in Alberta. While the $60 million jackpot is a record for Lotto-Max, it is not a record for a lottery in Canada.

A Lotto 6-49 jackpot in April 2013 worth $63.4 million was shared by four winners.

EYEGLASSES

affect numerous people.”

Selling pot over the counter is illegal in Canada regardless of whether it’s medical or recreational. Health Canada recently sent letters to 13 dispensaries warning of RCMP raids if they did not shut down, though Mounties have not yet acted on those threats.

Esquimalt Coun. Susan Low spoke against the resolution, saying it was the responsibility of the federal government and the courts to regulate medical marijuana, not that of local governments.

“Medical marijuana is a health service.

That’s not part of local government’s jurisdiction. I’d be very uncomfortable trying to do that. I’m not qualified to do that,” she said after the vote.

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10 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

LOCAL

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Killer’s court date in murder of toddler and her dad postponed

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he first court appearance of the man accused of murdering a two-year-old Alberta girl and her father was postponed this morning, and is now set for Sept.

30 in Lethbridge. Derek Saretzky faces two charges of first-degree murder and Terry Blanchette, and Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette (right) one count of indignity to a are victims of what police are calling a homicide. Derek body in relation to Hailey Saretzky, (left), of Blairmore, Alta., will appear in a LethDunbar-Blanchette’s death. bridge, Alta., courtroom today on murder charges.

The public became aware of the case when an Amber Alert weeks.

Police confirmed Saretzky and was issued for the toddler last week. Blanchette knew each other, but didn’t RCMP had been called to her father’s home provide details on their relationship. in Blairmore around 11 a.m. MT on Sept. Hailey’s mother, Cheyenne Dunbar, 14 after a family member discovered Ter- has said she was friends with Saretzry Blanchette’s body. That’s when they ky when she lived in the area, but discovered the young girl was missing. hadn’t spoken to him in three years.

Alberta man hired Edmonton lawyer Peter Northcott, will appear via CCTV on Sept. 30

ARE YOU

neighbours saw a white van driving away from the home around 3:30 a.m.

Saretzky was taken in for questioning on Sept. 15.

Hours later, investigators recovered Hailey’s body in a rural area of Blairmore and formal charges were laid the next day.

Hailey’s father and mother had shared custody, and Blanchette had been taking care of her for a couple of

A

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Woman ran over by bus

24-year-old woman is in hospital with serious leg injuries after she was run over by a bus on Granville Street on Tuesday. Vancouver police spokesman Const. Brian Montague said two buses, one of which was out of service, were travelling south on Granville Street around 6:50 p.m. when the woman was struck near 49th Avenue. “She was running to catch the bus when she slipped and fell and her legs went out onto the street and underneath the bus,” Montague told Metro. “She got run over.”

Montague said it’s unclear which bus ran over the woman.

He said the bus driver pulled over and remained at the scene.

He said the woman was taken to hospital with multiple fractures to both legs, ankles and feet, as well as a dislocated toe.

“It’s going to take some time for her to get back to normal,” he said. While the incident might seem like unusual, Montague said people get run over by buses in Vancouver “more than you would think.” “A lot of people ... as the bus is pulling away, they run up and try to bang on the bus and fall underneath a rear wheel,” he said.

Organizers and supporters at the 26th annual Child Haven International fundraiser in Vancouver on September 19. Photo by Chandra Bodalia

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12 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

LOCAL

Chinese fraud suspect Shiyuan Shen sues Canada Border Services Agency

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businessman in Richmond wanted nese justice in Canadian court proceedings.

by Chinese authorities for fraud, Ching, a real estate developer who faces is suing the Canada Border Ser- charges of embezzlement in China, recentvices Agency and Canada’s attorney gen- ly won a key battle to obtain a new refugee eral for failing to disclose information he hearing in this country. Both men claim says could have helped his refugee claim. the charges against them were manufacShiyuan Shen arrived in Cantured by political enemies. ada in May 2007 but has been And both claim the Chinese wanted in China since 2002. government tortured and inHe’s named on an Interpol wartimidated witnesses. Shen’s rant in relation to a $20-million lawyer, Lorne Waldman, said fraud scheme involving a steel he has “profound concern” company he ran in Shanghai. about how Canada is dealing Shen, who owns a kitchen cabinet with Chinese economic fugicompany, claims the charges were tives. “We have a regime that is trumped up for political reasons.

A businessman notorious for torturing people In a B.C. Supreme Court no- wanted by Chinese in order to force confessions, tice of civil claim, he says the authorities for fraud where the judiciary is not inCrown “intentionally withheld” dependent and where there is exculpatory information at his refugee not any rule of law,” Waldman said. “So our hearing as well as proof that evidence government is aiding and abetting a coragainst him was obtained through torture. rupt regime that tortures people into forced As a result, Shen claims he was denied confessions to try and force people who are asylum in 2013. A Federal Court judge claiming and declaring their innocence to has since ordered a new refugee hear- go back to a country where they are not ing because of the withheld disclosure. going to get a fair trial. It’s completely unAre Chinese allegations reliable? acceptable.” Assertions called improbable The case raises similar issues to those ad- Court documents trace Shen’s dressed in the case of Mo Yeung (Michael) path since he left China and arChing, another prominent Lower Mainland rived in New York in February 2002. resident identified as a fugitive from Chi-

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Fahmy to teach at UBC after being pardoned by Egyptian President

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ews of Fahmy’s pardon after he lost in Vancouver this September, as an ada second trial last month on ter- junct professor at the School of Journalism. rorism-related charges — reached The timeline of his return to Canada is unCanada early Wednesday. “We’re euphor- clear, but he could be in Vancouver within ic,” said Vancouver lawyer Joanna Gisalson, “the next few days,” said Alfred Hermida, director of the journalism who works with Fahmy school. The university has in Canada including his an apartment waiting for lawsuit against Al Jazeera.

Fahmy and his wife, Marwa.

Fahmy was the network’s “We were all set up to welCairo bureau chief when come him at the start of he was arrested in 2013. term a few weeks ago,” “I was sound asleep in my said Hermida, who prehotel room in Kelowna at viously worked as a forabout 4:30 and my phone eign correspondent for the started ringing non-stop.”

BBC in the middle east.

Gisalson said she had been Fahmy will hold the title hopeful on the eve of the holiday of Eid al-Adha, Canadian journalist Fahmy of global reporting journalist at the UBC joura time when pardons are imprisoned in Cairo has traditionally granted, that been pardoned by Egyptian nalism school, and be a fellow at UBC’s Centre of Fahmy would be released.

President Applied Ethics, he said.

“There was a lot of hold“We want to bring his exing our breath hoping that [the Egyppertise and perspective into classrooms tian president] would make that decision [including] the experience he’s just for Mohamed and his colleagues, and been through, the issues around freethat’s what he did today, “Gislason said. dom of expression, of journalists’ rights” Fahmy could be at UBC ‘in days’ Before he was sentenced to three years in “Journalism is not a crime — and be treated as such.” prison last month, Fahmy was supposed shouldn’t Fahmy will teach at UBC according to to start teaching at the University of B.C. report.

B.C. opens investigation into firing of health employees

rmed with a start-up budget of $750,000, B.C.’s ombudsperson is launching what he expects will be a year-long investigation into the mass firing of Health Ministry workers in 2012.

Jay Chalke said the budget, which will only cover the investigative work until the end of the fiscal year, will allow him to hire a team of nine investigators, who will begin by reviewing

a massive cache of government records.

“It’s a tremendously large amount of material,” he said . “The number of documents is in the six-figure range – and that is documents, not pages.”

The Office of the Ombudsperson was appointed this summer to investigate the dismissal of seven ministry workers and a contractor, all of them involved in pharmaceutical research. Chalke said he could not

begin the investigation until details, including the scope and the budget, were approved by the legislature’s finance committee.

The government announced the firings at a news conference three years ago and maintained until recently that the RCMP were investigating the former workers for a serious breach of personal data.

One of the researchers, Roderick MacIsaac, killed himself after being in-

terrogated by government officials and fired just two days before the end of his student co-op term.

Premier Christy Clark and her ministers have since apologized for the firings and acknowledged the government had overreacted to a data breach involving patient information. However, an independent review by an outside lawyer could not determine who was responsible for the firings or why they occurred.

LOCAL

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2 Via Rail terror plotters sentenced to life in prison

n passing sentence, Justice Michael Esseghaier, the judge addressed in deCode said the unusual gravity of tail questions about his mental health, terrorism offences means he had including Esseghaier’s assertion that it is to send a strong enough message to currently the year 2014 and that he and deter others considering carrying out his soul, will be released from jail on Dec. similar crimes. He said there was little 25 of that year. The judge called them evidence presented that mitigates the “realizations” not “delusions” and said presumptive sentence of life in prison. he’s skeptical Esseghaier is schizophren“These are the most serious of terror- ic. In short, he said, Esseghaier’s mental health was ism offences, denot a mitigatsigned to result in ing factor in indiscriminate killthe sentence. ings of innocent huThe most imman beings,” he said. portant eviHe said both men dence in the have not renounced case was 25 their violent, jihadist hours of seideology and have cretly recordshown no remorse. ed conversaRail terror plotters sentenced In March, both tions between to life in prison men were found the two men guilty of conspirand an undercover FBI agent.

The agent ing to commit murder for the benposed as a wealthy Egyptian-American efit of, at the direction of or in association with a terrorist group. real estate developer whose views had Esseghaier, of Montreal, was found supposedly become more hard line in guilty of all charges against him, recent years and who was a willing acwhile Jaser, of Toronto, was convict- complice in the conspiracy. The court ed of all but one charge.The jury also heard conversations in which Jaser and found the men guilty of six other ter- Esseghaier discussed their ideologies, ror-related charges between them. the plot to derail a Via Rail train travThe Crown was seeking life sentenc- elling between New York and Toronto es for both men. Jaser’s lawyer ar- and other ideas for potential attacks. Jugued for a sentence of 5½ years in rors were also shown aerial surveillance jail which would include three years of the two accused and the undercover for time already served. Esseghai- officer scouting a railway bridge in Seper made no sentencing submission. tember 2012 in broad daylight as sevMental health questions Regarding eral trains passed by only metres away.

Vancouver pot shops plan to fight as new regulations and rejections loom

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edical marijuana dispensary owners who stand to be uprooted by Vancouver’s sweeping new regulations say they won’t disappear without a fight.

Vancouver Councillor Kerry Jang estimated this week that only 15 to 20 dispensaries will be approved after the city processes a whopping 176 applications for business licences. But owners who are expecting rejection letters say the initial red light from the city will only mark the beginning of a months-long process of appeals and even legal action.

“With any new rules or regulations or licensing, it will take a long time. I do know a lot of dispensaries will file lawsuits,” said Chuck Varabioff of the British Columbia Pain Society. “I’ll never file a lawsuit

against the city, but I definitely would appeal if I’m told that I have to move.”

Mr. Jang said in an interview the city is not imposing a cap on dispensaries, but only 15 to 20 shops are likely to meet its strict requirements – including a clean criminal record and a ban on operating within 300 metres of schools, community centres and other pot shops. The councillor, who first revealed the estimate to local politicians at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention on Monday, said it was his own calculation and not an official figure.

“That’s based on me keeping track of all the various players and people who I’ve observed in the industry for these last few years,” he said. “I keep track of who, for example, has been caught selling to minors.”

Saturday, September 26, 2015 i 13

14 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

FEDERAL ELECTION 2015

Latest promises by party leaders Stephen Harper promises four NDP unveils $105M plan to year tax freeze revive forestry sector

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he Conservatives are promising a four-year “tax lock” law if re-elected on Oct. 19.

Speaking in Rivière-du-Loup, Que., Conservative Leader Stephen Harper revealed the plan to prohibit increases to federal income tax, sales tax and what he calls “discretionary payroll taxes,” such as employment insurance premiums.The value of such legislation would be symbolic, since it would carry no consequences if taxes were raised, though the Conservatives say the law would have to be repealed by a government that wants to raise taxes.

Harper said it’s a way to enshrine the Conservative commitment not to raise taxes.

“Obviously, the other parties are promising something very different. They won’t want to pass it, they won’t pass it themselves; if they

get the chance they would break it,” he said.

Contrasting tax policy The move is designed to contrast the Conservatives from their rivals. The NDP has proposed an increase to corporate taxes and the Liberals have called for an increase in taxes for the wealthiest Canadians to finance tax cuts to the middle class.

The move is being welcomed by one tax watchdog group.

“It doesn’t make raising taxes impossible, but it does makes it harder, and we welcome that,” said Aaron Wudrick, federal director for the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation.

“Some will note that this legislation can simply be overturned by a future government, but from where we sit, if it raises the “pain” level for a politician who wants to do that, that’s a good thing,” Wudrick said.

Tom Mulcair says the NDP will pump $105 million over three years into programs aimed at making Canada’s forestry sector more competitive.

The NDP leader made the announcement Friday during a campaign stop at a forestry college in the small town of Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier near Quebec City.

“We will make a series of crucial investments over three years to protect and create forestry jobs right across this great country of ours and secure a long-term future for our communities,” Mulcair said.

The funding promise came the morning after the French-language debate, in which Mulcair accused Conservative Leader Stephen Harper of allowing manufacturing and other vital economic sectors to languish while focusing all of

his attention on the oil and gas industry.

In a line he has also used in English, Mulcair accused Harper of “putting all the eggs in one basket, and then dropping the basket.”

The $105 million would go toward modernizing manufacturing and promoting Canadian forestry products overseas, Mulcair said.

The NDP plan also aims to cut greenhouse gases emitted by the industry by investing in research and development that will explore alternatives to petroleum products.

The NDP said that based on performance of existing programs, the new money could be expected to leverage about $270 million in private sector funds.

Background material provided by the NDP says Canada’s forest industry has been hit with a number of challenges in the past few years, including declining demand for newsprint, increased global competition and invasive insects. The $58-billion-ayear industry is one of Canada’s biggest employers, generating about 230,000 direct jobs for Canadians, the NDP notes.

With a little over three weeks to go until the Oct. 19 election and with Quebec a key battleground, Harper also headed deeper into the province on Friday, visiting Rivière-du-Loup.

Justin Trudeau promises to make reunification of parents and grandparents easier

The Liberals pledged Friday to make family reunification easier for new immigrants in an apparent effort to court voters who have been critical to the Tories’ advances, especially in the seat-rich regions surrounding Toronto and Vancouver.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau unveiled a number of measures to reform Canada’s current immigration policies during a campaign stop in the Ontario riding of Brampton Centre, which is currently held by the Conservatives. The package of promises was anchored by a pledge to make it easier for new Canadians to sponsor relatives living abroad for resettlement here.

Trudeau said that if a Grit government is elected on Oct. 19, it would double the number of applications for parents and grandparents that could be submitted each year to 10,000. The Conservatives capped the number at 5,000 in 2013, saying that the number of older immigrants allowed into Canada must be limited because of the burden they place on the health-care system and other social security programs.

The Liberals would also double the budget for processing applications, a measure that Trudeau said would significantly cut down the multi-year wait times currently holding up the immigration process for thousands of applicants.

The cap was part of the Tories’ overhaul of the family reunification category of immigration, which began in earnest in 2011 with a temporary moratorium on new applicants for reunification to deal with a backlog of tens of thousands of applications. In May 2013, then citizenship and immigration minister and current Conservative candidate Jason Kenney said it was “just not right” that a growing number of older immigrants were Continued on next page

LOCAL

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New auditor general for local government appointed

Saturday, September 26, 2015 i 15

24 kg of cocaine found on truck coming across Ambassador Bridge, CBSA says

ordon Ruth has been appointed ership in the office of the AGLG, as the new B.C. auditor general Fassbender had the following to say order officers say for local government (AGLG) about the outgoing acting AGLG, “I want they found more to use this occasion to recwith a mandate to lead than 20 kilograms ognize the tremendous a new, collaborative of cocaine in a truck that work accomplished by Arn relationship between loattempted to cross the Amvan Iersel. He came in cal governments across the bassador Bridge last week. at a challenging time for province and the office.

The Canada Border Services the office and brought “Recognizing there is Agency says that a comsuperior leadership and only one taxpayer, the goal mercial truck was flagged stability when it was most of this office has always for a secondary inspecbeen to help find ways to Gordon Ruth, the new needed.” Fassbender also tion at the Windsor-Deprovide the best possi- auditor general for local remarked on a further meatroit crossing on Sept. sure to improve the office to ble services in the most governments 16. During that inspechelp facilitate the smooth efficient, cost-effective way,” tion, border officers found said Community, Sport and Cultural transition to a new AGLG. “Shortly, we 20 bricks of cocaine, which had a Development Minister Peter Fassbend- expect to combined weight of 24.3 kilograms. er. “I’m confident we have found the announce two new members of the audit A 45-year-old truck driver from Guelph, right person in Gordon Ruth and council, both of whom have previous Ont., has been charged with possession know he is someone who will establish local government experience that will help for the purposes of trafficking, as well as himself, and the office, as high func- bring more understanding of the importation of a controlled substance. tioning, results-based and willing to challenges faced by local government to work with local governments to find solu- the office.” tions that ultimately benefit British Columbians.” The appointment is effective Oct. 1, 2015, and will allow for transition from his current position.

When the B.C. auditor general for local government was initially launched in January of 2013, it was the first of its kind. Like any new, leading-edge office there have been lessons learned and steps taken to strengthen the office and position it for success moving forward. “We are very pleased to be able to attract More than 60 lawyers and staff are available to an individual such as Gordon you. We cover all litigation expenses and if there Ruth. We feel he will make is no recovery, there are no fees to you. Legal an excellent AGLG givservices also available in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu. en his experience and background as well as his knowlAweI.sI.bI.sI. Aqy prsnl ieMjrI klym edge of local government,” said Tony Ariganello, chair, auswfw 40 qoN v`D vkIlW dw stwP quhwfI syvw ivc hY[ dit council, auditor genermuk`dmw nw ij~qx qy koeI PIs nhI leI jwvygI[ al for local government.

In AsIN pMjwbI, ihMdI Aqy aurdU ivc g~l krdy hW recognition of the change of lead-

B

The accused, a South Asian, is due to appear in a Windsor court.

Earlier this year, border officers seized 52 kilograms of suspected cocaine from a truck that was coming through the Ambassador Bridge in July.

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Latest promises From page 14 ending up on welfare, calling it “an abuse of Canada’s generosity.”

In place of new applications, the Conservatives introduced 10year “super visas,” which allow the family members of some new Canadians to stay in the country for up to two years. Though it was initially billed as a temporary measure, the super-visa program was made permanent in 2013.

Since the Conservatives secured a majority government in 2011, they have shifted Canada’s immigration approach away from a first come, first serve basis, to one that emphasizes economic migration.

He also promised that the spouses of recent immigrants would receive permanent resident status immediately upon arriving in Canada, bypassing the two-year wait period currently in place. A Liberal government would also restore the maximum age for dependants from 19 to 22, making it easier for immigrants to bring their older children to Canada.

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16 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

LOCAL

New Indian Consul General meets with local business people

New Indian Consul General, Rajiv Chander, (pictured above and insert) with South Asian businesses people at a meeting in Burnaby last week. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

Alleged mastermind of Justice Institute attacks faces 23 charges

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fter a four-year investigation described as “extremely puzzling” by police, two men have been charged in the series of attacks four years ago on students and staff of the Justice Institute of B.C. The attacks — including houses, cars, and trailers set on fire, and homes and vehicles shot at — started in April 2011 and continued throughout the Lower Mainland until Jan. 2012, when a home was set on fire in West Vancouver.

Police arrested the alleged “orchestrator,” Vincent Eric Gia-Hwa Cheung, 40, on Friday in Burnaby, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. announced Monday. He is facing 23 charges, including: 11 counts of arson, on a house. Five counts of arson, on a vehicle. Two counts of arson, on property within a residence.

One count of arson, on a trailer. Fourshooting charges.

Thurman Ronley Taffe, 54, also charged with house arson, is alleged by police to have been

contracted to carry out that crime.

Fifteen victims in the 2011-12 series of attacks had links to the Justice Institute of B.C. (Horatio Arevalo) Fifteen people were targeted after their personal records were allegedly accessed improperly by an ICBC employee, investigators said on Monday morning.

The link between the victims wasn’t clear at first. Some were students and staff at the Justice Institute of B.C., while one had simply parked a car in the parking lot to drop someone off at an unrelated event, said Kevin Hackett, chief officer of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit B.C. ‘Their lives were at risk’ Hackett wouldn’t discuss what police believed the motive was in the series of attacks, saying that would come out in court. Chief Supt. Kevin Hackett of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. announced the charges Monday after a four-year investigation.

Former Calgary man charged in absentia for terrorism-related activity

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algary man who allegedly travelled to fight with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and at one time was rumoured to have been killed in Iraq, has now been charged in absentia in Canada with numerous terrorism-related criminal offences.

The RCMP announced Thursday that 22-year-old Farah Mohamed Shirdon faces six charges under the Criminal Code related to his alleged support of ISIS, which RCMP said began after he left Canada in March 2014.

“Our investigation showed that Shirdon served in a combat role and performed other functions for ISIS such as recruiting, fundraising, encouraging others to commit violence, and spreading propaganda — all designed to enhance the activities of the ISIS,” assistant commissioner Marlin DeGrand, the officer in charge of RCMP criminal operations in Alberta, said in a release.

A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for Shirdon’s arrest and the Mounties also plan to issue a red notice via Interpol, with the goal of arresting Shirdon internationally to be returned to Canada for prosecution.

All six charges against Shirdon are under Section 83 of the Criminal Code dealing with terrorism. “These charges not only demonstrate that the RCMP is taking active measures to investigate and pursue criminal charges against high-risk travellers, but also serve as a powerful deterrent message to individuals seeking to travel abroad for terrorist purposes and those already engaged in such activity,” James Malizia, the RCMP’s assistant commissioner, said in a statement.

‘Proactive measure’ Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former CSIS senior intelligence officer and CEO of a security consulting firm, described the RCMP’s decision to charge Shirdon now as a “proactive measure.”

LOCAL

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B.C. education data breach: government can’t find unencrypted hard drive

he B.C. government is unable to locate an unencrypted backup hard drive that contains about 3.4 million records that can be linked to specific individuals, said Technology Minister Amrik Virk on Tuesday.

The hard drive contains student data from 1986 to 2009, including information on children in care, such as their health and behaviour issues.

While the minister called the breach “low risk,” the B.C. information and privacy commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, said it raised “very serious privacy issues,” and has launched an investigation.

Vincent Gogolek of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association says there is cause for concern because of what’s in the data.

“It’s hard to think of something more intimate and personal than this type of information.” said Gogolek.

“Psychological assessments, describing in-care status, substance abuse, family problems. Even if it’s not lost, even if it is sitting behind a filing cabinet, those people are going to be upset and rightly so.”

NDP education critic Rob Fleming called it “a shocking day for British Columbians.

“It’s the second largest ministry in government, 3.5 million records,” said Flemming. “Virtually every British Columbian between the age of 22 and 47 is out there somewhere.”

“There’s no doubt a mistake was made,” said Virk. “First, in how the hard drive was

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Campers stuck in landslide rescued

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ozens of back country campers were rescued from the Sea to Sky corridor north of Vancouver after a landslide caused by heavy rains closed off several roads throughout the region.

In Lillooet, 50 campers were airlifted out to Pemberton. Closer to Squamish, seven people were airlifted on Sunday and another 28 were able to drive out on Monday when a back road was cleared for them to pass.

“We just noticed the river kept rising and rising and getting more and more violent and you could hear the boulders in the river tumbling down,” said Berm McCandless, one of the rescued campers.

Nearby resident Michelle Molnar, who lives in the Birken neighbourhood north of Pemberton, also said she could hear the landslide a kilometre from her home.

created, and secondly, in how it was stored.”

There is no indication of fraud or identity theft as a result of the misplaced drive, said Virk.

Potential for harm, humiliation The hard drive was created in 2011 as a backup for student records, according to an official with the B.C. education ministry. It also contains information about Yukon students. It includes personal data such as name, gender, postal code and personal education number but does not include social insurance or health numbers. For a select group of vulnerable students, the data on the lost hard drive is of a much more sensitive nature.

The drive contains a 2008 file on 200 students who withdrew from the K-12 system in seven school districts, including: Full name and birth date. Substance abuse information. Mental health issues.

Psychological assessments.

Detailed family data.

In-care status (e.g. foster home, group home).

Saturday, September 26, 2015 i 17

Mac’s stores to be renamed Circle K

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ac’s Convenience Stores Ltd., owned by Silverwood Dairies Ltd., was a convenient Sunday or after-hours stop for milk, bread and other staples in the years when most retailers could not open on Sundays or late at night.

By 1996, when it acquired Becker’s Convenience stores in Ontario, it had 1,004 stores across the country.

Alimentation C o u c h - Ta r d bought the chain in 1999. The big Quebec operator of convenience stores was spreading into the U.S. and Europe and bought 2000

Circle K stores in the U.S. in 2004.

In an announcement ahead of its annual meeting, Couche-Tard said the Mac’s name would be fully retired by 2017 in Canada. The Circle K brand, which is its

most widely used store banner, will be rolled out in the U.S. and Europe beginning next year. But the company plans to keep its Couche-Tard banner in Quebec.

18 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

LOCAL

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Man charged with killing 3 women has lengthy criminal history involving women

he man charged earlier this week in the deaths of three women he knew in the Wilno, Ont., area had been convicted of choking one of them less than two years ago. Basil Borutski, 57, was on probation for choking Anastasia Kuzyk, 36, with his bare hands following his release from jail.

Court records show he had refused to sign a probation order to stay away from and not communicate with Kuzyk, whom he choked on Dec. 30, 2013.

Kuzyk and two other women — Carol Culleton, 66, and Nathalie Warmer-

dam, 48 — were found dead Tuesday at three separate locations within a 25-kilometre radius of Wilno, west of Ottawa.

Borutski was arrested in Ottawa later Tuesday and has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. A candlelight vigil is being held in honour of the women at Heritage Park in Wilno on Friday evening. The bodies of Anastasia Kuzyk, Nathalie Warmerdam and Carol Culleton were found at three separate locations near Wilno, Ont., on Tuesday.

Court records show Borutski was convicted on Sept. 12, 2014, of assaulting Kuzyk,

Crown wants 20 years for B.C. man guilty of human trafficking, sex exploitation

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Saturday, September 26, 2015 i 19

rosecutor Kristin Bryson argued in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday that Reza Moazami should serve back-to-back sentences for each of his 11 victims, who ranged in age from 14 to 19.

In the first human-trafficking conviction in the province, Moazami was convicted last September of 30 of 36 charges laid against him, including sexual exploitation, sexual assault and living off the avails of prostitution. The court heard during his trial that Moazami recruited vulnerable girls by promising them drugs, alcohol and, in one instance, a puppy.

“Cr ime A BC man found m u s t guilty of luring not get teenage girls into cheaper prostitution should by the spend more than dozen,” Br y s on 20 years behind told the bars, says a court, Crown lawyer. quoting an earlier judgment to bolster her case.

Moazami was arrested in 2011 and spent three years and seven months in custody, meaning the Crown’s proposed sentence would amount to a further 17 years imprisonment.

A sentencing hearing was scheduled initially for early December but was delayed after Moazami fired his counsel.

Moazami was present for the sentencing hearing and wore jeans and an untucked, neatly pressed, blue dress shirt. When not staring ahead passively he fidgeted in his seat and periodically hunched forward to scribble notes on a yellow pad of legal paper.

One of Moazami’s two lawyers began Monday’s hearing by asking that Justice Catherine Bruce reconsider her judgment on his client’s five convictions of living off the avails of prostitution.

Lawyer Jeremy Fung argued those convictions were no longer constitutional because the Supreme Court of Canada’s one-year delay in overturning the country’s prostitution laws had expired since Moazami’s conviction.

The country’s top court struck down Canada’s prostitution laws in December 2013, but gave the government a year to establish new legislation. Bruce rejected Fung’s argument, saying what mattered was that the laws were constitutional at the time of Moazami’s conviction. “Mr. Moazami may have an appeal,” she said.

“But I’ve convicted him and I’m going to sentence him.” Speaking outside the courtroom, defence lawyer Brian Coleman said he would push for a sentence of “significantly less” than 17 years, but declined to provide specifics. Moazami testified in his own defence at his trial.

as well as burning an antique rocking horse she owned on the same day he choked her in December 2013. Weeks later, on Jan. 2014, Basil Joseph Borutski, 57, 23, (sketch) in Pembroke court. Borutski stole a vehicle belonging to a relative of Kuzyk and drove it while being prohibited from doing so.

He also was in possession of a cross-bow despite being prohibited from having one.

He was sentenced to 19 months in jail,

banned from possessing weapons for life and ordered to provide a sample of his DNA and not communicate with Kuzyk or one of her relatives. He was released from jail on Dec. 27, 2014, a little more than three months after being sentenced, after receiving credit for the time he served in custody prior to sentencing. In two places where Borutski was supposed to sign his probation order, a court official’s handwritten notes say he refused to do so. It appears the official’s handwritten notes were also initialled. Incident involving Warmerdam in 2012 Borutski also had a criminal history involving Warmerdam, court records show. In July 2012, he threatened to kill an animal belonging to Warmerdam and to physically harm one of her relatives.Saturda Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 19

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Foreign buyers driving luxury real estate sales, Re/Max says

oreign buyers are driving demand for luxury homes priced at over $3 million in Vancouver and Toronto, according to a report today from Re/Max. In June 2015, there were 379 homes in that price range sold in Toronto, compared to 179 a year ago. In Greater Vancouver, 572 homes above $3 million were sold in the month, compared to 319 a year ago. The highest price paid for a Greater Vancouver property was $17.5 million. In Toronto and Vancouver, the average cost of a detached home is in excess of $1 million and that is no longer considered a luxury price. Re/Max brokers and agents reported luxury buyers, primarily from China, are typically families with children who are relocating to Canada to live. “While there has been a lot of concern about foreign investors in Canada’s housing market, we’re seeing that the foreign buyers in our major luxury markets are living in their properties,” said Gurinder Sandhu, executive vice-president of Re/Max Integra Ontario-Atlantic Canada. He said the relative strength of the yuan, which wasn’t de-

CBC to sell all property across Canada On the same day Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau pledged to reverse $115 million worth of cuts to the CBC, the national broadcaster unveiled its plan to sell off all of its buildings. The Canadian Media Guild said CBC announced at a staff town hall today that it will be “selling all its property across the country, including major production facilities in Montreal and Toronto.” Ian Morrison, spokesperson for Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, had not yet heard about the announcement when reached by Torstar News Service Tuesday evening.

“It’s news to me,” he said, adding the broadcaster’s decision to sell real estate assets was akin to “burning the furniture to heat the home.”

Not only will this saddle the CBC with the need to pay rent forever, Morrison added, but the timing couldn’t be worse. “This is a period of time when a government only makes caretaker decisions,” Morrison said. “It is widely understood during a general election you don’t do controversial things.” In an email to Torstar Tuesday evening, CMG national president Carmel Smyth said the news was broken to staff during a “quarterly update” meeting. Details, such as a timeframe for the sale, were not available. “First they cancel documentary production, now they sell the space,” Smyth said.

valued until mid-August, helped make most Canadian real estate affordable. There also has been a substantial increase in luxury buyers in Montreal in the first seven months of the year, attracted by the cheaper prices found in the city, Re/Max said. About 340 4 i Saturday, July 25, 2015 homes in the $1-million plus range sold in

Montreal in June, the company said, a 24 per cent increase from the previous year. More condos in the $1-million range — considered a luxury price — are selling in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, the real estate firm reported. Luxury condominium buyers tend to be baby boomers who are downsizing

during retirement. Many spend part of their time in a second home or travelling and want something lower-maintenance than a house, it reported. Of seven Canadian cities monitored by Re/Max, only Calgary saw a decline in sales of homes valued at over $1 million.

About 517 such homes sold in June, a 28 per cent decline from last year.

2 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

real estate / finance

Vancouver real estate sees hot August as house prices up 17% from last year

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etro Vancouver’s sky-high real estate prices continued to rise in August, with much higher sales than normal for the summer month, according to the latest figures from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. The benchmark price for a detached property in Metro Vancouver increased 17.5 per cent from the year before, to nearly $1.16 million. In some neighbourhoods, prices rose even more sharply: East Vancouver, parts of Burnaby, Tsawwassen and Ladner all saw prices rise more than 20 per cent on single-

family detached homes over the past year.

Overall, sales were 28 per cent higher than the ten-year average for August, according to the board. “There was no summer lull in our market this year,” said Darcy McLeod, board president, in a release. “[Buyers] are motivated, but they’re competing for a smaller supply of homes for sale than is typical for this time of year.”

The one part of the region that saw falling prices was Whistler, where the benchmark price dropped 0.5 per cent last month, and prices for apartments have fallen 21.6 per cent in the past five years.

BOLLYWOOD / FILM

‘Kis Kis ko Pyaar Karoon’ is comedian Kapil Sharma making his much awaited big screen debut. He’s the funniest man in India so naturally his first feature film should be a laugh riot.

Or at least as good as his much popular show on TV, Comedy Nights With Kapil. But that’s not how things turn out. This film is funny in parts but not as consistent as any of Kapil’s previous works. Abbas Mustan, the director duo known for stylish action films give us a lacklustre product. Parts of this

Saturday, September 26, 2015 i 3

Movie Review: Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon movie are likeable. But there’s as much to dislike too. The story is totally unusual. One man accidentally marries three women. Kapil Sharma aka Shiv Ram Kishan ends up juggling between three houses and three wives. That’s Juhi (Manjari Phadnis), Simran (Simran Kaur Mundi) and Anjali (Amrita Puri). Things become all the more interesting when Kapil’s best friend and lawyer Kunal (Varun Sharma) suggests he move all three wives in the same building but differ-

ent flats. It’s a real recipe for situational comedy. The gags employing comedy of errors are well written. And then you have the fourth angle of the girlfriend and one true love Deepika (Elli Avram).

A little later you’re introduced to Kapil’s parents played by Supriya Pathak and Sharat Saxena. As well as Deepika’s wacky dad played by Manoj Joshi and Anjali’s deaf Don of a brother played by Arbaaz Khan. These supporting characters really add spark to the proceed-

ings. The decent writing does allow seasoned actors to make the most of their comedic timing. But where the gags have the right punches, the narrative is tiresome and unoriginal. The writers had the right ideas it’s just that they couldn’t figure out the best way to stitch them together. So while the comedy set pieces work, the film on a whole doesn’t gel together. Scenes between the gags seem forced and at times downright amateur. The direction is definitely not inspiring.

4 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

BOLLYWOOD /

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Saturday, September 26, 2015 i 5

6 i Saturday, August 22, 2015 September 26, 2015

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika in new film ‘Tamasha’

BOLLYWOOD / FILM

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* No credit history required for a credit card, car loan or home mortgage. Provided you meet all of Royal Bank of Canada’s eligibility and credit criteria, and provided you are a permanent resident who has arrived in Canada within the last 12 months, you may be eligible for an unsecured or secured RBC Royal Bank credit card even if you have no Canadian credit history. An RBC Royal Bank automotive car loan and residential mortgage or mortgage within an RBC Homeline Plan® are available to permanent residents and foreign workers even if you have no Canadian credit history provided you meet all of Royal Bank of Canada’s eligibility and credit criteria. † Based on market capitalization. 1 See www.rbc.com/newcomerterms for select credit cards. 2 Offer only available to First-Time Home Buyers on a 4, 5 or 7-year fixed interest rate closed residential mortgage or 5-year variable rate closed residential mortgage or on one RBC Homeline Plan mortgage segment. To qualify, you must have or open a mortgage payment account with RBC Royal Bank. The $500 will be deposited to this account. The mortgage or mortgage segment must be for a minimum principal amount of $100,000. This offer is only available for new builder single advance mortgages that close within 120 days from commitment start date. All other construction draw/builder mortgages (including purchase plus improvement), amendments to an existing mortgage, port/assumption transactions, an advance of additional funds or a renewal are excluded. Offer may be withdrawn or amended without notice at any time. The offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other special offers, with the exception of RBC Royal Bank rate specials. 3 $14.95 monthly fee will be waived for first 6 months upon account opening. Applies to RBC Signature No Limit Banking® account only. Available only to newcomers who have arrived in Canada within the last year and who show proof of permanent resident status or who have arrived between 1 – 3 years ago when they switch their account from another financial institution using CustomSwitch®. Other restrictions and conditions apply to all offers. Each of these offers may be withdrawn or amended at any time and each is subject to change without notice. For complete Terms and Conditions visit any RBC Royal Bank branch or visit www.rbc.com/newcomerterms.

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BOLLYWOOD / FILM

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ake up ladies, smell the coffee and set your eyes on the import, actor Fawad Khan as he graces the latest Filmfare magazine cover.

On the cover of India’s most popular entertainment magazine, Fawad will simply blow your minds away with what he does best – Look hot and make his fans go gaga over him. Also Read: Fawad Khan is back! And he will make you drool as Hello! magazine

Saturday, September 26, 2015 i 7

Fawad Khan sizzles on Filmfare cover cover model.

Filmfare shared the stylish first look of their latest magazine cover featuring Fawad Khan on their official Twitter handle. Writing, “He’s the cross border prince who’s making all our hearts beat faster,” the magazine is running a feature on Pakistan’s most popular celebrity on the Indian soil. The cover story reads - Fawad Khan: The Cross Border Turk

Bigg Boss 9

who’s giving our heroes sleepless nights. Also Read: Vogue Beauty 2015: Fawad Khan recieves the ‘Most Beautiful Man’ honour!

The black and white themed magazine has the 32-year-old actor dressed in razor sharp, tailored fit suit. The messed up hair and those brooding eyes is sure to give you sleepless nights at length. Fawad has been a

regular feature on the Indian magazine covers. Blessed with natural model like looks and attitude to carry off any dress code, Fawad is both photographers and viewers delight. The actor from across the borderwho made his film debut in the year 2014 in ‘‘Khoobsurat’’ opposite the Sonam Kapoor is currently shooting for Dharma Productions ‘Kapoor and Sons’. The movie also stars Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Rishi

8 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

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Former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts accused of fear mongering

campaign mailout sent to homes in the riding of South Surrey— White Rock by Conservative candidate Dianne Watts, is being called absurd and fear mongering.

The flyer shows a newspaper headline taken from the National Post reading “ISIS Urges Jihadists To Attack Canadians”, with a highlighted quote “You Will Not Feel Secure In Your Own Bedrooms”.

On the reverse side, Watts is pictured below a line reading “We Will Fight Jihadist Terrorists At Home And Abroad.”

Pixie Hobby, NDP candidate for South Surrey—White Rock, says there’s a lot of talk about the flyer in the riding.

“Citizens of South Surrey—White Rock are really upset about this flyer,” Hobby said.

“They don’t appreciate the fear mongering.”

Hobby says the issue of terrorism is a distraction from more important local concerns in the area including crime and policing.

When asked for comment, Watts sent an email response stating, “There was no intention to fear monger.”

Reverse side of flyer The statement continues, “ISIS has clearly declared Canada as a target for terrorism. We have seen such acts on Canadian soil with the death of our Canadian soldier in Ottawa — in

LOCAL Quebec and a foiled attempt at the B.C. Legislature.” The email also states Watts would not be commenting further on the matter.

Conservative party headquarters in Ottawa sent out the flyer on behalf of a number of candidates including Watts and Erinn Broshko, who is running in the riding of Vancouver Granville.

Meanwhile the NDP candidate in the riding Pixie Hobby, stated that Watts needs to answer some serious questions about her efforts to distance herself from tweets and

leaflets coming from her campaign. ‘‘Watts first raised eyebrows over a tweet that claimed “the movement of Syrians into Europe is being orchestrated by ISIS.” Today, Watts came under fire for a leaflet that said Canadians will not feel safe in our bedrooms because of “jihadist terrorists.” she said.

‘She tried to blame Stephen Harper and the national campaign for the leaflet saying that “the national campaign has used that (style of messaging) and some people will align with that.” she said.

Horgan promises Crown land for housing

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B.C. NDP government would provide provincial Crown land to communities to lower the cost of new housing, NDP leader John Horgan says.

Horgan used his address to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention Thursday to highlight local government struggles with high urban housing prices, homelessness and treatment for mental illness.

He said the NDP would use Crown land to help communities with housing instead of selling it off to “wealthy developers” as the current government did recently with a tract of land on Burke Mountain in Port Coquitlam.

Horgan praised the work of Maple Ridge and Victoria to address growing homelessness, and the B.C. Liberal government’s support for shelters.

The province announced $550,000 Thursday to help run a 40-bed shelter in Maple Ridge through the winter, after the closure of a Salvation Army-run facility was announced by the local council.

Victoria council wants to raise $50 million through a levy on Capital Regional District property taxes to build social housing for the city’s chronic homeless population, many of whom camp in city parks.

Horgan also promised mayors and coun-

cillors that as premier he would scrap the B.C. Liberals’ new Auditor General for Local Government and redirect the money to communities. Communities Minister Peter Fassbender told the convention Wednesday he has appointed a new auditor, former Metro Vancouver chief financial officer Gordon Ruth.

Responding to Horgan’s speech for the B.C. Liberal government, Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett acknowledged the new local government auditor got off to a poor start, with the firing of the original auditor after an overly ambitious start and poor relations with municipalities.

Bennett rejected Horgan’s claim that the B.C. government ignores recommendations from its own Auditor General, and said all elected officials should learn to accept independent scrutiny of their spending and management.

Bennett said Horgan mocks Premier Christy Clark for pushing to establish a liquefied natural gas export industry, and insists the government is focused on nothing else. The $9 billion Site C dam project got underway this summer, and Horgan still has no clear position on it due to factions within the NDP, Bennett said.

At least 1 other child in B.C. care is living in a hotel A teen died after fall from fourth floor of a hotel

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teenager Alex Gervais was in provincial care, but had lived for months alone and unsupervised in a hotel when he fell to his death about a week ago.

Now, the minister for children and families says at least one other youth in provincial care is living in a hotel, despite ministry policies aimed at preventing placement in one.

“The provincial director of child welfare assures me that it is an appropriate circumstance in this other case,” Stephanie Cadieux told CBC. “However, we are not satisfied that notification wasn’t made to the provincial directorate of child welfare so it could be tracked properly.”

The revelation was made nearly a week after 18-year-old Gervais died falling from a fourth-floor hotel window in Abbotsford.

On Thursday, six days after Gervais’s death, Cadieux admitted she still had no idea who with-

in the foster care system placed Gervais in the hotel, or why her ministry’s own guidelines around youth placement in hotels were not followed.

“Ministry policy and practice is not to place youth or children in hotels except in extremely rare circumstances,” said Cadieux. “And when that happens, it is policy that it is to be approved by a designated director and reported to the directorate of child welfare. It would appear in this case that that did not happen.”

Cadieux says a review is underway, but it will take time.

“We can’t jump to conclusions. That would be irresponsible,” she said.

B.C. Opposition Leader John Horgan is calling on Cadieux to resign.

“I don’t know how many swings at the plate you get,” he said. “We need to stop defending the ministry and start defending children.”

POLITICS

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Niqabs should be allowed during citizenship oath, Mulcair says

DP Leader Tom Mulcair said he supports the current requirement that women show their faces at some point in the citizenship process, but that they should not be forced to remove a face covering while taking the oath of citizenship. “I am in agreement with the existing rule under which anyone seeking citizenship must uncover their face to identify themselves before swearing the oath, in accordance with their religious beliefs,” he said during a speech in Montreal, adding that he understands that some people may see the niqab as a symbol of oppression.

“If some of those women are oppressed, we need to help them. And it’s not going to be by depriving them of their Canadian citizenship and rights that will do that.” Mulcair made the speech to clarify the NDP’s position on the issue, one day ahead of the first French-language leaders’ debate before the Oct. 19 vote. The Conservatives have tried to impose a ban on niqabs and other face coverings during the oath of citizenship. Last week, however, an

appeals court upheld a lower court’s previous decision to strike down the ban. The federal government has since said it will seek a stay of the court’s decision until it can take the case to the Supreme Court of Canada. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has said on the campaign trail that a Grit government would not pursue the ban at the SCC. The issue is particularly contentious in Quebec, where a majority of people seem to be in favour of the government’s proposed ban.

Ninety per cent of Quebecers who responded to a question on the issue from Vote Compass, CBC’s online voter engagement survey, said they were opposed to facial coverings in citizenship ceremonies. Mulcair has had to negotiate a tricky path thus far on the issue. His party needs to retain the hard-won votes it secured in Quebec in 2011, but cannot risk losing support in the diverse suburbs of Toronto and Vancouver, where voters appear to be opposed to the government’s effort to impose a ban.

French-language debate triggers hot exchanges on niqab, economy, national

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DP Leader Tom Mulcair pushed back against attacks from all sides during the French-language leaders’ debate Thursday night, which had tempers flaring on topics ranging from the Senate, national unity and the right to wear the niqab.

Mulcair, whose party’s lead may be shrinking in Quebec, was on the defensive on issues including the environment and referendum politics.

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe pressed the NDP leader, who goes by Tom in English but Thomas in French, on his views on oilsands.

The BQ leader cited comments that Mulcair had made in French and in English on the topic, suggesting they were contradictory.

“I’d like to know if Tom talks to Thomas from time to time,” quipped Duceppe.

Meanwhile, Trudeau attacked Mulcair on the NDP’s support for a bill that would recognize a sovereigntist referendum vic-

tory, even if it were by a majority of 50 per cent plus one. Trudeau argued that the Supreme Court has ruled that one vote would not be enough to separate from the rest of Canada and accused Mulcair of supporting 50 per cent plus one for a French audience but not for English Canada.

But Mulcair shot back that he trusts Quebecers with the normal rules of democracy.

“Mr. Trudeau says it will take much more than a simple majority, but he refuses to say how much,” Mulcair said.

Some of the most pointed exchanges of the night centred on the issue of the niqab and whether government services should only be given to those who reveal their faces.

Mulcair accused Conservative Leader Stephen Harper of raising the issue of the niqab as a distraction rather than dealing with troubling economic questions.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

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Not a ‘snowball’s chance in hell’ NDP would prop up Tories, Mulcair says

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he NDP would categorically refuse to prop up a Conservative minority in the House of Commons, making it even harder for Stephen Harper to stay on as Prime Minister if he does not win a majority on Oct. 19.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said there is not “a snowball’s chance in hell” that he would help the Conservatives to govern in a minority environment. The comment comes one day after Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said he would not support a Conservative minority in the House. The Bloc Québécois has also stated at the start of the election that it would not prop up the Conservatives.

As a result, the Conservatives would likely need to win a straight majority of the 338 seats up for grabs in this election to form a government.

“Anybody who has attended a single Question Period over the course of the last several years would be able to tell you that there is no likelihood that the NDP would ever, under any circumstance, be able to support Mr. Harper,” Mr. Mulcair said on Wednesday, at a joint news conference in Montreal with Mayor Denis Coderre.

“The short answer to your question is:

There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell.”

In reference to an eventual collaboration with the Liberals, Mr. Mulcair was less categorical, stating that “every time we have tried, they have slammed the door.”

Speaking in Montreal on Tuesday, Mr. Trudeau said if he doesn’t win the next election, the Liberals would not prop up a Conservative minority government.

“There are no circumstances in which I would support Stephen Harper to continue being Prime Minister of this country,” Mr. Trudeau said.

He was less emphatic in reference to the NDP, stating Parliament can function in the context of a minority government and he is confident that Canadians will make the “right choice” on Oct. 19. Mr. Harper has said that he would not try to form a government if the Conservatives were to finish in second place, as would be his constitutional prerogative. It remains to be seen what he would do in the event of a minority.

For now, Mr. Harper has urged voters to offer his party a “solid, stable, national majority” in the election.

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Contact after 6pm 604-598-1987 - 778-387-1672

JOBS Western door manufacturing Ltd. located at #109-8250 124Street, Surrey BC V3W 3X9, has an immediate vacancy of Carpenter. We design and manufacture high end solid wood exterior doors, solid wood interior doors and custom doors.

Full time permanent job position with wages of $25per hour.

35 to 40 hours per week.

Job Duties includes Read & interpret drawings & sketches to determine specifications; Estimate height, width, length, & other proportions; Measure, cut, shape, & assemble materials using woodworking machines, power tools and hand tools; Build exterior doors, interior doors, custom doors with jams; Install hardware such as hinges, handles, catches using hand tools and power tools; Repair doors & replace panels of doors.

Job requirement: High school with 2-3 years of experience.

Trade certificate will be considered as an asset. If interested send resumes by email at westerndoormanufacturing@gmail. com ------------- September 5, 2015

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JOBS “Balwinder Singh Singhmaar, resident of 15095 92Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 5V8 has a vacancy for In-home Child caregiver for infant child and 9 years old son. $10.25/hrs, Full Time, 40 hrs/ week. Applicant must have high school with minimum of 1 year of related experience within last 3 years or 6 months of full time training in caregiving. Job Duties includes Supervise and care for children, prepare formulas and change diaper of infant, feeding, bathing, dressing, prepare children for rest period, escort child to school, prepare and serve nutritious meal and snacks, accompany to and from activities & appointments, light housekeeping, laundry, maintain safe environment at home, keep record of day-to-day activities, health and progress of children.

Optional accomodation is available at no charge but this is not a condition of employment” -------------- August 13 2015 Jun13_155 Long Haul Truck Drivers Reqd. Sal:$23.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yr exp. & Class A 0r 1 license reqd., FT/PT Duties: Operate, drive straight or articulated trucks to transport goods & materials on local routes or over long distances.Plan trip logistics & obtain required documentation to transport goods.Perform pre-trip & post-trip inspection of vehicle systems.Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled & fuel consumption.May perform emergency

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roadside repairs. Lang: English.

Work at various location in Canada & USA. Contact: Balwinder from Metro Transport ltd.12772 82nd Ave, Surrey, V3W 3G1 E-mail your resume at metro_transport@ yahoo.ca.

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1 Optical Frame Fitter Reqd.

Sal: $22.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yrs exp. or certification reqd., FT/ PT Duties: Obtain specifications for eyeglasses or contact lenses from a prescription. Assist clients in selecting eyeglasses. Grinding & polishing of lenses. Cut & edge lenses & fit lenses into frames. May supervise or manage activities of other opticians. Lang: English. Location: 12841 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 6V9 Contact: Imran from Eye See 2020 Optical at opt_eyesee@yahoo.ca.

------------------------------Jun 06_15 Dosa Corner Restaurant Ltd in Vancouver Looking to hire an authentic south indian chef .

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-----------------------------------Seamstress required Seamstress (Tailor) needed Foam & Décor is looking for Full Time or Part Time Seamstress ( tailor) for drapery in Surrey.

Salary will be provided @ 12 per hour. Please call 604-594-1882

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is $14.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to Mayuri Indian foods inc is looking oversee and supervise Static to hire an Ethnic Food Cook in Guards. You will need to ensure Surrey BC. F/T & Perm.$17/hr. the duties of the Static Guards Must have at least 2-3 yrs expeyou supervise are being completed and the client’s needs are berience in South Indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Indian ing met. Field Manager pay rate is spicing. Duties: Prepare & Cook $18.00 per hour plus vacation pay. meals; Supervise Kitchen helpers; You would be required to report to the Director of Operations and Plan menus; Ensure quality & you are responsible for supportdetermine food proportions; ing, mentoring and supervising Monitor & order food supplies; the security officers in the field.

Set up & oversee buffets; Manage You will be required to manage kitchen operation. Mail resume the company’s field operations or apply by person Mayuri indian and resources after business cuisine , Unit 102A,12677 80th hours. Mobile Supervisor pay rate Ave., is $18.00 per hour. You would be Surrey BC V3W 3A6 required to provide ongoing leadFax: 604-572-3281 ership, direction and training. You ------------------------------------need to ensure all standing orders English Classes for Adults and scheduled daily activities are Register for classes carried out for each shift. You September 2-8 For more information,Visit: www. will be required to discipline staff when necessary victoryesl.com and ensure proper documentaCall: 604.755.7976 tion is passed onto head office.

E-mail: victoryesl1@gmail.com You will have to investigate alarm ---------------------------responses and respond in a timely Cook Require manner. You will need to commuCurry junction Restaurant in nicate any concerns/issues with White Rock need cook Site Supervisor/ immediately, This is a full time Coordinator. permanent position for a experiThe above opportunities suit enced person, candidates willing to travel all Depending on experience salary over the lower mainland and will be upto $21 per hr. with other benefits. Call:604-729-6741 or from Squamish to Hope. We also have opportunities in Edmonton, 604-385-1558 Alberta.

---------------------------Minimum qualification for these Transworld Security positions are completion of located at 2nd Floor, 5050, secondary school and BST Justice Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4H2 Training of BC. is looking for a Static Guard, Past experience is preferred but Static Guard Supervisor, Mobile we are willing to train candidates Supervisor and Field Manager. who show eagerness to learn. For These are permanent full-time more information please visit our positions. Static Guard pay rate website at www.transworldsecuis $13.00 per hour plus vacation rity.ca. pay. You would be required to patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect To PLACE signs of intrusion and ensure YOUR security of doors, windows and AD IN THE gates. Answer alarms and inASIAN STAR vestigate disturbances. Monitor and authorize entrance and CLASSIFIEDS departure of employees, visitors Section and guests. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency.

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Toastmasters International is the leading nonprofit organization devoted to creating effective leaders and communicators worldwide. Through its clubs, Toastmasters International helps people learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking — vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

• Toastmasters teaches practical techniques to help you gain the confidence to be a leader. • Develop charisma and establish a presence to earn respect in the workplace. • Discover your unique leadership style. • Be noticed for communicating like a leader.

We are friendly and warm group of people known as the North Delta Power Talkers. Come as a guest and see how you can benefit. We meet at the North Delta Rec Center 11415 84 Ave, Delta, BC V4C 2L9 on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 8:30. You’ll find us in the Main Floor Multipurpose Room (a.k.a the Pre-School Room) just inside the main entrance.

(604) 952-3045 or Gary Drouillard at 7787889220 SPECIAL EVENT: Join us for our annual Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest on September 30.

See our best compete in this fun-filled, exciting event.

Tinku Parmar 604 644 2830 --------------------------------------Colour Festival (Holi) Sunday September 13th 1:00 - 5:00 PM more info: bhaktiyogavancouver@ gmail.com --------------------------------Sunday Feast Special Presentation

By POPULAR DEMAND Kaliyapani Prabhu (ACBSP) will perform the same multi-media dramatization of Krishna Lila that he did on Janmastami & Special Guest Speaker Lecture and Kirtan

by His Grace Mahatma Prabhu (ACBSP) --------------------------------Monday Evening Sanskrit Classes Every Monday 7:00 - 8:00 PM by Her Grace Radhika Devi Dasi

(ACBSP) --------------------------------Upcoming Workshops Friday - Saturday - Sunday Sept 18th, 19th, 20th by His Grace Mahatma Prabhu (ACBSP) more about Mahatma Prabhu http://mahatmadas.com/ mahatma-das --------------------------------Chaitanya Charitamrita Classes facilitated by Jaya Govinda Dasa Wednesday & Friday Evenings 7:00 - 8:00 PM

5462 Marine Drive Burnaby, BC 604 433 9718 http://vancouver.iskcon.ca --------------------------------Want To Be Self Employed?

Register with PICS Self-Employment Program PICS is calling all potential entrepreneurs in Delta, Surrey and Burnaby to join their next session of Self Employment Program in September 2015.

Through this program you will learn to develop self-employment skills, business plans, marketing plans. You will also learn how to arrange start-up funding and the best possible ways to manage your cash.

PICS Self-Employment Services are available through WorkBC Program to eligible British Columbian job seekers who are unemployed/underemployed and who have received EI in the past 3 years or Maternity Benefits in the past 5 years.

Selected clients may be eligible to receive up to $300 per week for 48 weeks. To learn more about the program reserve a spot TODAY for an information session at PICS Head office - #205-1272580th Avenue, Surrey, on Wednesday, September 09, 2015 at 2:30 PM Hurry! Seating is limited Pre-register at deshpal.grewal@pics. bc.ca or sunil.rawat@pics.bc.ca .

Or call Mr. Deshpal Grewal at 604-596-7722, Ext 126, or Mr. Sunil Rawat at 604-596-7722, Ext 128.

--------------------------------------MOSAIC Seniors Club provides free activities for immigrant seniors age 55 and above. We also provide workshops and individual support on topics relevant to seniors. We run activities such

Saturday, September 26, 2015

as walking clubs, English conversation classes and field trips. Come make new friends, practice English, get information and have fun! Volunteer language support available in many languages.

For more information, or to register, call: Burnaby South: 5902 Kingsway || 604 438 8214 Basic computer classes, English conversation circles, Persian calligraphy, DIY class Burnaby North: 2055 Rosser Avenue || 604 292 3907 English conversation circles, Taichi class Vancouver: 1720 Grant St || 604 254 9626 ext 273 English conversation circles, basic computer classes For the Vancouver location, there is priority for Permanent Residents.

-------------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and also non members, even family members to come and watch the Bollywood Movie MORNING WALK - on big screen free on August 23rd 2015 ( Sunday ) at 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC. A retired professor Anupam Kher experiences his morning walk changes his life forever, when he meets his once a classmate and friend Sharmila Tagore. A beautiful and heart tugging tale of two families who are so different from one another, yet connected through a special bond. Light snacks and tea will be served during intermission.Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

------------------------------------Culture & Conversation Night August 27 MOSAIC Vancouver, 2nd floor, 1720 Grant St‘ 604 254 9626 ext 488 Karen Legal Information Workshop: Employment Standards Learn about your rights in the workplace. Topics include: minimum wage, parental leave, working hours, statutory holidays, filing complaints as well as the rights of caregivers, employees and employers. There will be sample scenarios to explore. August 30 1–3pm Our Lady of Mercy Parish, 7455 10th Ave, Burnaby Joy 604 438 8214 ext 211 -------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and non members also to attend a Powerful Presentation - Exercise for a Healthy Life Style with a Focus on Healthy Heart by

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Monika Tsia Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Amy Sangha Physiotherapist both working for Fraser Health in Cardiac Rehablitation and Prevention Program at Jim Pattison Out Patient/ Surrey Hospital. They will explain Health related Fitness and will demonstrate you, how to perform different types of Exercise for Healthy Life Style. Monika Tsia and Amy Sangha will answer all your questions about Health related Fitness. Tea and light snacks will be served after the Powerful Presentation. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604- 507- 9945 for further details.

------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and non members also to attend a Powerful Presentation - Exercise for a Healthy Life Style with a Focus on Healthy Heart by Monika Tsia Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Amy Sangha Physiotherapist both working for Fraser Health in Cardiac Rehablitation and Prevention Program at Jim Pattison Out Patient/ Surrey Hospital. They will explain Health related Fitness and will demonstrate you, how to perform different types of Exercise for Healthy Life Style.

Monika Tsia and Amy Sangha will answer all your questions about Health related Fitness. Tea and light snacks will be served after the Powerful Presentation. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604- 507- 9945 for further details.

------------------------------------Vancouver’s 42nd Chariot Festival of India 11:30 to 1:00pm Sunday, August 9, at 2nd Beach in Stanley park, Vancouver --------------------------------------------Free Community Workshops & Activities August 1–16 English & Multilingual August 1: Powell St Festival August 8: Korean Cultural Heritage Festival August 27: Wood Boat Festival Meet up location will be confirmed upon registration 604 438 8214 --------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults, Senior members and also non members to come and attend Meditation for Anxieties ( Worries ) to retrieve your ‘’ Inner Child ‘’ so that you can become whole as a person and learn better self care, by Dr. Jaswant .

S . Bhopal a Psychiatrist, Physician & Spiritual Preceptor on August 2nd 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th Street Surrey BC. Please bring yoga Matt. with you, Dr. Jas Bhopal will answer all your questions

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Business / Finance

Retail sales rose 0.5% in July as child-care benefit cheques arrived

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Lower gas prices still helping Canadians afford other consumer items, like pickup trucks

ower gas prices plus the arrival of child-care benefit cheques helped boost consumer spending in July, including sales of pickup trucks. (Canadian Press) Canadian retail sales rose by 0.5 per cent in July, according to Statistics Canada, and economists owe part of the boost to the arrival of lump-sum payments from the enhanced universal child-care benefit. Consumers are spending more on motor vehicles and parts, clothing and shoes and sporting goods, the federal data agency said Wednesday.

The agency said spending on pickup trucks was especially strong, while spending on cars slid and sales of other

auto accessories tended to be flat. It’s the third month that retail sales have risen in Canada, a good sign for the economy through the rest of the year.

“Low interest rates and low gas prices have supported sales activity throughout the year, but the retroactive lump-sum payments from the enhanced universal child-care benefits were an added cherry on top, helping support the retail sector in July,” TD economic analyst Admir Kolaj said in a note to clients.

Kolaj said the effect of the benefits pay-

ment could continue into another month as most cheques arrived late in July.

Low loonie raises prices Retail spending have risen 1.5 per cent since July 2014, with lower gas prices leading to a 12.8 per cent drop in sales at gasoline stations in the past year.

At the same time, sales at used-car dealers increased 20 per cent in the year, sales of clothing were up 6.5 per cent, and sales of sporting goods, books and hobbies rose four per cent. The low loonie means prices

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for many imported goods are rising, but RBC calculates the volume of sales is still up about 0.2 per cent in July.

“We expect spending on goods will continue to grow reflecting year-to-date resilience in labour markets and, in the near term, a sizable jump in household disposable incomes in late July from the federal government’s distribution of retroactive UCCB payments,” said RBC senior economist Nathan Janzen.

RBC predicts a 2.8 per cent increase in consumer sales in the third quarter, following on a 2.3 per cent gain in the second quarter. The only constraining factor later in the year might be potentially rising interest rates and already high consumer debt.

Hillary Clinton opposes Keystone XL pipeline

illary Clinton has broken her longstanding silence over the construction of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, saying at a campaign stop in Iowa that she opposes the controversial project. The Democratic presidential candidate said she decided to speak out after concluding the ongoing debate over whether the pipeline should be built had become a distraction to larger efforts to fight climate change. That distraction, she said, is “unfortunately, from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward to deal with the other issues.

Therefore I oppose it.” Clinton’s announcement came as she has ceded ground in some polls to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who has long opposed the project. It also followed the appearance of protesters at some of her recent campaign events holding signs that read, “I’m Ready for Hillary to say no KXL.” The former secretary of state had previously said she shouldn’t take a position on the issue, because she didn’t want to interfere with the Obama administration as it considers whether to allow construction of a pipeline that would transport oil from Canada’s oilsands to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico. But spurred on by environmental activists and liberals who play a key role in the Democratic primaries and vigorously

oppose the pipeline project, Clinton had expressed impatience in recent weeks over the Obama administration’s drawn-out deliberations. Her campaign said the White House was briefed on Clinton’s position prior to her comments and she privately made her opposition to the pipeline known when she discussed her plans with labour officials in recent weeks. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley applauded Clinton’s stance. Notley has long opposed the project, saying upgrading and refining should be done closer to home.

“I do think we need to get our product to tidewater,” she said.

“I’m just not convinced that getting our product down to the gulf where there’s a whole bunch of cheap refining is absolutely the best strategy for an industry in Alberta when Albertans want to see focus more on upgrading and refining.” Clinton is scheduled to raise money in California over three days beginning Sunday and was sure to face questions from donors on why she had yet to stake out a position. Tom Steyer, a leading environmentalist and top Democratic donor, said it was a “clear example of people power overcoming the special interests” and credited Clinton for joining with “thousands of Americans calling on President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline in favour of building an American economy powered by clean energy.”

Business / Finance

Canadian GDP outlook slashed to 1.2% with 3 provinces in recession

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Alberta to shrink 1.3%, N.L. by 3% as impact of low oil prices ripples through economy

conomists continue to scale back their forecasts for Canadian growth this year, with both TD Economics and RBC Capital Markets saying the economy will expand by just 1.2 per cent and three provinces will remain in recession. Alberta is taking a hard hit because of low oil prices, with RBC forecasting a 1.3 per cent contraction in the provincial economy in 2015. Newfoundland and Labrador could shrink by three per cent and Saskatchewan’s economy is also expected to contract.

TD slashed its 2015 forecast for Canadian GDP growth by 0.4 percentage points to 1.2 per cent and its 2016 prediction by 0.3 percentage points to about two per cent. RBC is slightly more bullish on 2016, saying the economy could grow 2.2 per cent. But there are plenty of risks hanging over those forecasts, with global growth uncertain and commodity prices volatile. China is a key driver of global prices, especially for metals, an important Canadian export. Its slowdown could cast a shadow over export performance, which TD predicts will lead to growth in the last half of the year. And unpredictable oil prices mean there’s no sure way of projecting numbers into the coming year.

‘Snap back’ in 2nd half Still, TD gave an optimistic assessment of Canada’s potential, saying the economy will “snap back”

in the third and fourth quarters. It points to stable household spending, continued demand for housing and gains in employment as positive signs for Canada’s economy. “While investment is likely to remain weak for some time, Canada’s export sector appears to be starting to flex its muscles, supported by rising U.S. demand and the low level of the loonie,” TD chief economist Beata Caranci said in a research report. A lot of growth is riding on the performance of exports, which have recovered more slowly than expected, she wrote. Figures for June and July show a rebound in exports, mainly to the U.S. and sustained consumer demand there bodes well for Canada. Meanwhile, the energy-led downturn is still rippling through the Canadian economy, leading to lower business investment. Recession in oil-producing provinces In Alberta, the economy will contract by 1.3 per cent in 2015 compared to the June forecast of a 1 per cent decline in real GDP, RBC says. The price of crude has fallen from $105 US a barrel in June of 2014 to around the $45 US a barrel level today. Forecasts of a recovery in the last half of the year have not come to fruition because of the worldwide oversupply of oil.

Tuberculosis drug price jumps 2,000%, shocks doctors

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ront-line tuberculosis doctors in Canada were recently sticker shocked that the price of an essential medication for drug-resistant TB went through the roof for no apparent reason.

Cycloserine is a critical drug used to treat a rare and dangerous form of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Overnight in North America, cycloserine went from $15 US per pill to $360 US. “Everyone in the TB community in North America has been going crazy over the last week or so when they realized the price had gone up by over 2,000 per cent,” said Amir Attaran, a professor of law and medicine at the University of Ottawa who specializes in drug policy. ‘It is people looking to make a quick buck.’— Prof. Amir Attaran It’s part of a trend in the pharmaceutical industry of small companies buying up old, off-patent drugs and jacking up the price. “It’s people coming from hedge funds,” said Attaran. ‘It is people looking to make a quick buck.” The patent on cycloserine expired long ago. Elsewhere in the world, it sells for 22 cents US a pill. It is considered an essential medicine by the World Health Organization.

The drug company Lilly developed cycloserine in the 1960s. In 2007, the company gave the North American rights to sell the drug to the Chao Center, a non-profit associated with Purdue University in Indiana. Last month, the Chao Center transferred the rights to Rodelis Therapeutics, which raised the price. On Monday following a New York Times story centred on the price increase for another infectious disease drug, the price fell of cycloserine fell to $35 US per pill. The two organiza-

tions recently said the rights to the drug will be transferred back to the non-profit Chao Center. Ottawa urged to regulate Dr. Dina Fisher, medical director of the Calgary Tuberculosis Centre, currently has two patients on the medication.

Fisher said when she originally saw an email on the 2,000 per cent increase, she thought it was a typo. “I was shocked at the percentage increase in a drug that’s really essential for some of our patients,” Fisher said. People with multidrug-resistant TB typically take five or six drugs and are treated for 18 to 24 months, she said.

They take two to three tablets of cyloserine a day. Attaran is writing up what happened for the medical journals because he thinks it’s important for doctors to know that a medicine a patient depends on to live can increase in price so much and so quickly. “Ottawa needs to regulate the price of those unpatented medicines … to prevent this happening again,” he said.

Deal being reversed In an email to Attaran which was shared with CBC News, Lilly vice president Dr. Evan Lee said the company gave up all rights over cycloserine “including any pricing or access decisions” in its 2007 deal with the Chao Centre. “The subsequent transfer to third parties is a decision over which we do not have control,” Lee wrote. The Chao Center, for its part, said in a statement to CBC News that, after the price of cycloserine went up, “it became clear that the Rodelis strategy was not consistent with the Chao Center’s expectations or vision.”

The Chao Center and Rodelis now appear to be reversing the deal.

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PUNJAB

Captain Amrinder and Bajwa in intense war of words, as Congress calls for restraint

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he Congress was caught in a massive political crossfire as leaders of its faction-ridden Punjab unit sparred openly, rebuking each other, in what the party described as “unfortunate and harmful to Congress interests”. The party leadership ordered restraint as Punjab Congress president Partap Bajwa openly accused Capt Amarinder Singh, his bete noire, of attempting to stage a coup by way of vertical split in state Congress ahead of the 2017 Assembly Capt. Amrinder poll and eventual formation of his own party.

As Bajwa “warned the Congress leadership of Capt doing a Bhajan Lal on the party if given a role in state organisation”, Capt hit back dismissing Bajwa’s accusations as “schizophrenic symptoms of a failed and frustrated man desperate about his own political sur-

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vival.” Bajwa told The Tribune today: “After Bihar poll results which pollsters say the BJP will win, Captain will form his Punjab Vikas Party. The BJP will split from Akalis. Captain will then pullback some legislators he has loaned to the Akalis, bringing Akalis into minority in the state Assembly. The BJP will then impose President’s Rule in Punjab, rule by proxy until October next before declaring elections”.

‘Talk of split unfortunate’ Partap Singh Bajwa “These comments by senior leaders are unfortunate and harmful to the party. We have asked both leaders to exercise restraint,” Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab Shakeel Ahmed said, adding that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had “taken note of these developments”. Sonia called Shakeel Ahmed for a meeting this evening.

Akalis feel heat as Congress targets 3 ministers over ‘irregularities’

he Akali-BJP government on Thursday came under sharp attack from the Opposition Congress in the Punjab Assembly over the prevailing agrarian crisis and non-distribution of subsidised sugar and kerosene among the poor. Amid two Congress walkouts, Agriculture Minister Tota Singh, Food Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon and Minister for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Gulzar Singh Ranike were targeted by the Opposition benches for their alleged acts of omission and commission. As leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar accused the government of discrepancies in the Agriculture Department over purchase of insecticides and pesticides at prices more than the market price, pesticide scam in cotton crop and plight of cotton and basmati

growers, Tota Singh failed to defend himself. When Jakhar demanded his resignation alleging that the insecticides bought by the government were not even tested, none from Treasury benches spoke in his defence. Clarifying his position, Tota Singh said he was the first one to order an inquiry after irregularities came to his notice. He also talked about the steps taken by the Badal government in the favour of farmers.

During the question hour, Kairon faced the Opposition ire when Jakhar questioned the government’s “inability” to distribute subsidised sugar and kerosene among the poor.

Kairon said the policy was changed in 2013, and in trying to answer the question blamed it on private sugar mills, including the one owned by Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh, for not releasing sugar.

4 injured in clash at AAP rally in Tarn Taran

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violent clash between Usma episode victim Harbrinder Kaur’s supporters and AAP workers left four persons injured during the party’s rally at Chutala village, 6 km from here, onn Thursday. The clash took place when Harbrinder Kaur reached the rally venue along with her supporters, demanding ouster of AAP’s state youth wing leader Manjinder Singh Sidhu, Police take Harbrinder Kaur into custody. contending that he was also involved Harbrinder Kaur and warned her against disin the incident in which she was thrashed by rupting the party’s rallies. Chhotepur said policemen in full public view outside a marthey were not keen on projecting a CM face riage palace in Tarn Taran on March 3, 2013. in Punjab as they apprehend that if they do Sidhu was also present on the dais along with it the ruling party will implicate that leader other AAP leaders when the clash broke out. in false cases. Earlier, addressing the rally, The police intervened and detained a few perChhotepur said the way their party was gainsons from both sides. No case was registered ing ground in the state there was a possibility till the filing of this report. Later, AAP’s Punthat the Akali Dal and the Congress might jab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur blamed gang up against it ahead of the forthcoming the administration for the act perpetrated by Assembly elections.

HC notice to Sukhbir, Fastway on harassment plea by cable operators Fastway’s functioning is under judicial scanner, once again. Acting on a petition for probe by the CBI into the harassment and implication of “minor cable operators carrying on business in small towns”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today put Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on notice. Jus-

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tice Rajan Gupta of the High Court also directed against harassment of petitioner-minor cable operators. The directions came as Justice Gupta also issued notice to the State of Punjab, Fastway Transmission Private Limited and other respondents. In all, notice was issued to 11 respondents.

Police claim vital clues in lawyer murder case

he UT police claim to have got some vital clues in the murder case of a 34-year-old lawyer, Sukhmanpreet Singh Sidhu, alias Sippy, that could soon lead them to the killers. Sippy was found shot dead in a park in Sector 27 on Sunday night. Though officials were tight lipped on the investigations, sources said on the basis of the call details of the victim’s mobile and questioning of a girl, who is believed to have been present at the time of the incident, the police quizzed at

least six youths. However, UT IGP RP Upadhyay said the police had been informed that some girl was present in the park and was seen running away from the spot. He said they were yet to verify who the girl was. The police have not ruled out the contract killing angle. They are trying to establish a link between the girl and the “two assailants” who fired at the victim from two different weapons, both .12 bore guns.

INDIA

Modi receives rousing welcome in New York Narendra Modi arrived here on Wednesday night on a five-day US visit, his second, during which he will address world leaders at a landmark UN sustainable development summit and interact with top CEOs and the Indian diaspora in Silicon Valley.

Modi will have a packed agenda for the next two days in the city and then in California from September 26-27. The Prime Minister was received at the airport by Indian Ambassador Arun K Singh, India’s envoy to the UN Asoke Mukerji, Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay and their spouses.

Modi will return to New York on September 28 for a bilateral meeting with President Barack Obama as well as to attend a high-level peacekeeping summit at the United Nations. On Friday, he addressed global heads of state at the Sustainable Development Summit hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon when the new and ambitious post-2015 development agenda was adopted. India will also host the G-4 summit here on Saturday, before Modi

India, US ramp up strategic ties with eye on China and heat on Pakistan

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hina was invisible and unmentioned dragon in the room and Pakistan the named and shamed entity as India and the United States strengthened their defence, security, and economic cooperation after talks between high cabinet officials ahead of prime minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with president Obama in New York next week. Washington also nudged New Delhi to make commitments on climate change ahead of a December summit in Paris, pledging to help India in attaining energy security with clean energy, including ambitious targets in renewables. ‘’A climate change agreement is absolutely critical and reflects the re-

Narendra Modi on a five-day US visit

leaves for the West Coast for a packed twoday trip during when he will have meetings with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google’s new CEO Sundar Pichai. He will also attend a grand community reception in San Jose. Modi will also meet President Barack Obama on September 28, his third summit meeting with the President in about a year. Modi is expected to focus on giving a further push to early and urgent reform of the Security Council and to send an “unambiguous message” of “zero tolerance against terrorism”.

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BJP is anti-quota, RSS its ‘Supreme Court’: Nitish

The ‘grand alliance’ released a joint list of 242 candidates for the Assembly polls with the bulk comprising OBCs and weaker sections as its CM candidate Nitish Kumar attacked the BJP for being “anti-reservation” which cannot but obey RSS “which is its Supreme Court”. Kumar said the list had 55 per cent representation of backwards, 15 per cent SC/ST, 14 per cent Muslims and 16 per cent from the general category. A total of 25 women candidates have been given tickets, forming 10 per cent of the total, Kumar said,

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adding “all sections” have been represented.

The Bihar CM launched a frontal attack on the BJP and RSS. “It (RSS) wants to set up an ‘extra-constitutional body’ for the review of reservation system. As per RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s interviews to ‘Panchjanya’ and ‘Observer’, which are the mouthpieces of the Sangh, the current reservation policy is unfit and needs to a system for review,” he said.

Questioning the BJP’s stand on reservation, he said whatever the ruling party may

Indian billionaire joins spiritual sect

hivinder M Singh, (pictured) the executive vice-chairman of Fortis Healthcare Limited, has joined the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) sect.

The RSSB describes itself as “a philosophical organisation based on the spiritual teachings of all religions”. Fortis is one of India’s largest healthcare providers with interests in India, Dubai, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. “Having spent almost two decades setting up and running Fortis, our mission of saving and enriching lives is an integral part of my being. Over time this has in-

spired me to do more direct service and give back to society a little of what I have received in abundance,” Mr Singh was quoted as saying in a press release issued by Fortis. “A short while ago, I requested for sewa (service) at Radha Soami Beas, headquartered near Amritsar and I am fortunate to have been accepted.”

Mr Singh would continue to be associated with the company though in a non-executive role, the release added.

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sponsibility of world leaders to show the way on problems that profoundly affect not just our countries but all of the citizens of this planet,’’ secretary of state John Kerry said, in a transparent show of Washington’s No. 1 priority ahead of the Obama-Modi meeting. India, which sees this as a ‘’transactional issue’’ that should be part of an overall strategic and security paradigm, agreed to ‘’maintain close consultation in the run-up to the Paris summit’’, with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj recognizing climate change as one of the most pressing challenges. Beyond this one contentious issue, both sides were on the same page, particularly where security strategy was concerned. Both secretary Kerry and minister Swaraj insisted that China was not even mentioned

during their talks, and their vigorous partnership was not aimed at Beijing. But the lengthy joint statement issued at the end of the dialogue was replete with engagements that is certain to pique China. They include steps ranging from an enhanced trilateral ministerial dialogue between US, Japan, and India on the sidelines of the UN general assembly next month, to building on the first India-US consultations on Africa in April 2015 by having New Delhi train peacekeeping forces in six African countries.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

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Saturday, September 26, 2015

fOOD INDIA

6 i Saturday - April 4, 2015

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US backs India’s UNSC bid

With the United States reaffirming its support for India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the successful conduct of the maiden strategic and commercial dialogue between the two nations, the stage is set for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third summit with President Barack Obama on September 28. The US also supported

India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) that would enable it to share sensitive missile technologies like armed drone with New Delhi. Notwithstanding apprehensions appearing in certain quarters following recent developments at the UN headquarters in New York, the US said it supported India as a permanent member of the UNSC.

PM Narendra Modi addressing United Nations’ General Assembly on Friday

Air India sacks overweight flight attendants

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he national carrier, Air India, had given a chance to around 600 “overweight” cabin crew members, mostly women, last year to “shape up” within a specific time frame. Maintaining the required Body Mass Index (BMI)was made a pre-requisite for continuing flight duty. But after the deadline lapsed earlier off flying,” a senior DGCA official told DW 7950 Granville St. Van-Granville: (604) 266-6080 this month, Air India decided to crack the on conditions of anonymity as he was not (604) 303-0665 Richmond: 5333 No.3 Road whip and decided layoffs were the best an- authorized to speak to the media. “Many 4880 Victoria Dr. (604) 568-3890 Van-Victoria: swer Procedure: and decided to sack the overweight of them are permanently unfit and within a 3516 Kingsway Van-Kingsway: (604) 558-3689 fewpaste months will reassigned as ground chicken the ginger andsome the yoghurt for 20 min. soak the cashew in warm water for 15 minutes.chop the onions and tomatoes.

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30 i Saturday, 29, 2015 Saturday,August September 26, 2015

NRI

Dhokla to get a Michelin makeover for US CEOs and PM Modi

Hindu, Sikh leaders to share stage with Pope

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Hindu community leader and two prominent Sikhs will be among a select group of inter-faith leaders who will participate in a prayer service led by Pope Francis during his visit to the 9/11 memorial here this week.

Uma Mysorekar, an obstetrician and gynecologist and President of the Hindu Temple Society of North America, University at Buffalo Professor Satpal Singh and his daughter Gunisha Kaur will be among the dozen religious leaders to participate in the Multireligious Meeting for Peace presided over by the Pope inside the 9/11 Memorial Museum on Friday.

Joining the Pope will be representatives from Buddhist, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim faiths.

The Pope will address the gathering and there will be prayers and meditations from various religious traditions.

Bangalore-born Mysorekar said her participation is giving her immense pride as it will provide prominence to the Hindu religion which will be recognised at a world stage.

She said she might recipe the Sanskrit prayer ‘Asato Ma Sad Gamaya, Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya’ at the prayer service.

“It does mean a lot. The meeting with the Pope will bring the Hindu religion to the forefront,” Mysorekar told PTI.

R

She said that the prayer service will also provide an “exposure of other faiths” to the Pope, who will have a chance to hear other inter-faith leaders.

Mysorekar, who has met the previous pope Benedict, said the current Pope is very “forward-thinking”. She is currently a vicechair of the New York Interfaith Council.

According to the programme, Mysorekar will be joined by Ishanaa Rambachan in reciting the Hindu prayer. Rambachan is an Associate Principal at global management consulting firm McKinsey and has served on the Hindu American Foundation.

Singh is a Founding Trustee of the Sikh Council for Interfaith Relations, and the immediate past Chairperson of the World Sikh Council - America Region.He is actively involved in Catholic-Sikh relations and interfaith dialogues on diversity and peace-making. An author and speaker on human rights issues, Singh conducts an annual summer-long research program at the University of Cambridge. Kaur, an active member of the Sikh community, is the Director of the Department of Anesthesiology’s Global Health Initiative. Among the inter-faith leaders participating in the special service is Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of the Park Avenue Synagogue, Executive Director of the Islamic Center

Leadership award for NRI university Chancellor in US

enu Khator, the Indian-American University of Houston president and Chancellor, has been honoured with the ‘Excellence in Leadership Award’ by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Excellence in Leadership Award pays tribute to an extraordinary woman who has devoted her professional career and personal life to revolutionising the world of business, education, philanthropy, or government. Previous honorees include US House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, iconic journalist and talk show host Cristina Saralegui and seven-time Grammy-Award winning artist Gloria Estefan. “I was literally surprised and asked at least twice, ‘Are you sure?

Are you sure it is me?’” said Khator, who was honoured with the award at the organisation’s national convention this week. “I consider it a big honour to stand on the national stage, represent the University of Houston and accept this award on behalf of all the great work done by all of us together,” she said.

The USHCC said that as the first woman to lead the UH System and the first Indian

immigrant to oversee a major research university, Khator was the perfect fit for the award. “President Khator has not only broken the glass ceiling, but her commitment to education has served as an inspiration for Americans, women, and immigrants of all backgrounds,” USHCC President and CEO Javier Palomarez said in a statement. Khator said she is particularly honoured to receive the award from the USHCC because of UH’s strong ties with the Hispanic community. “As with many awards, I am fortunate to be the named recipient, but it really represents an honour to be shared by all of UH and the people of Houston,” Khator said. The University of Houston has nearly 43,000 students, 300 academic programmes and a budget of more than US $1.5 billion.

During President Khator’s tenure, the university became a member of the Texas Medical Center. It also launched its 75-acre Energy Research Park initiative -- an academic research and startup hub for the energy industry -- as part of a USD 400 million campus expansion program.

V

ikas Khanna, who owns the award-winning restaurant, Junoon, in New York, labored over a seven-course meal for a month, and presented a range of dishes themed on the festivals of India. Among the dishes on the menu were sevaiyan cakes and rolls inspired by the Jama Masjid, coconut chutney mousse, pongal and bisi bele bath served as rice porridge and Parsi patrani fish. “It was a mix of Indian cuisines. The meal not only focussed on treats from Diwali, Eid and Christmas but also other festivals like the Hornbill festival of Nagaland and the Bohada tribal festival of Maharashtra,” says Khanna’s representative Deepika Bansal. Khanna was not available for comment. Kokum and black coconut jaggery have been flown to New York from Goa along with fiery Kolhapuri chillies, which will be used in “chilli pearls”, and other ingredients like edible gold foil for the meal tomorrow. Khanna was prepping for more than 250 hours at Junoon, and staff from the

restaurant assisted him during the meal at the Waldorf Astoria. Khanna teamed Mathura ke pedhe with chicken and black rice from Mizoram. “The chef has gone to every festival around the country and this has inspired the menu, which is based on his book Utsav: A culinary epic of Indian festivals,” says Bansal.

One dish that drew appreciation was the modak foam, inspired by singer Lata Mangeshkar’s modak recipe.

“Khanna visits Lata Mangeshkar every year during the Ganpati festival, and he has given her recipe a twist,” says Bansal. Amritsar-born Khanna, who has worked with leading chefs like Gordon Ramsay, was invited by the Indian government to plan and serve a meal celebrating the country. Desserts included Diwali mithai, Goan dodol served with caramel custard, cardamom milk and Kashmiri qahwa. “Indian food is more than chicken tikka masala. That’s the message we will be sending across,” says Bansal.

Nalanda varsity gets $1 million from NRIs

N

alanda University, an international centre of learning coming up in Bihar, on Tuesday received a personal endowment of $1 million from an Indian-origin couple to support a professorial chair in the School of Historical Studies. The endowment was made by Rajasthan-born Rajendra Joshi, who is now a Swiss citizen, and his wife Ursula Joshi. The symbolic cheque was handed over by Ursula Joshi to

Nalanda vice-chancellor Gopa Sabharwal at a function held on Tuesday at the India International Centre. Nalanda University has also received endowments from countries like Australia, China, Singapore, Laos and Thailand. It has also received endowments in the form of books from individual donors.

Sabharwal in her remarks said the endowment was valuable for the university in these formative years.

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Fiji rugby team losses second in a row, after being beaten by Australia

Pastor accused of sexually abusing women in his Church

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Church pastor who allegedly impregnated women in his church will be investigated by the police. Police Commissioner Ben Groenewald confirmed that he received an anonymous report on Saturday afternoon and he had directed his team to investigate.

“I have received the allegations made by an anonymous person and have forwarded the allegations to my chief of intelligence and investigations for a full investigation,” he said.

“We will investigate and if there are any proven statements of misuse, indignation of people under the age of 16, it constitutes a crime and we will investigate it further.”

In an interview with The Fiji Times, three former female members of the church claimed its founder had impregnated women, mostly virgins in his congregation, bearing him more than 10 children out of wedlock.

The names of the three women cannot be revealed for various reasons.

They claimed that a 13-year-old was also impregnated by the pastor who told his congregation that it was “the work of the Holy Spirit”.

“It started in 2000, it was so real, we know the movement was really moving in 2000. In 2004, we came in and we felt like a strong power. It had a strong impact. Miracles happened, he lured in women, girls,” one of them claimed.

Another woman said she was a

Saturday, September 26 2015 i 31

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ustralia got their Rugby World Cup campaign off to an winning start with a 28-13 win against Fiji but they will be frustrated they could not claim a fourth-try bonus point after dominating most of the match. Fiji, who lost to England last Friday, started brightly but became ragged in the face of some well-disciplined Australian mauling that carried David Pocock over the line twice, with Bernard Foleyweighing in with a pair of penalties to ensure a comfortable 18-3 lead at the break. Sekope Kepu blasted through soon after the restart and it looked set for a big Wallaby win, but Fiji fought back well and scored a try through Ben Volavola as Australia lost their way.

tertiary student when she joined the church.

She said they were misled because the pastor backed up what he did with a message claiming to be from God and they believed him. “We were told, ‘you don’t have to look for jobs because we will provide you jobs here’,”she said. “So many things were said but they didn’t come to pass and so many times when it didn’t happen there was always an explanation behind it. “We would go to his room. It would start with a call for us to massage him or he would say that we needed to be redeemed. There were mostly virgins in the congregation. “In the redeeming process, which he says to cleanse us, he would intimately touch us and we thought it was right because he was a man of God.

Good News!

Good News!

Australia, Fiji Rugby World Cup match

Pool A now switches to Sunday, when England and Wales, who both won their opening games, meet at Twickenham.

Australia’s next game is against Uruguay on Sunday. Fiji next face Wales in Cardiff in eight days’ time.

Good News!

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Exam paper leak inquiry

22nd Nov - 29th Nov., 2015

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T

he first day of the Fiji Eighth Year Examinations was marred by the leakage of an exam paper. The Education Ministry labelled it as sabotage. Education Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy said they were aware of the issue and despite the recent “attempts”, exams were progressing well with education officers as monitors. Opposition member of Parliament and former Fijian Teachers Association executive Mikaele Leawere, in his Parliament speech on Tuesday.

PM pays tribute to outgoing President “Our nation has been most fortunate and most grateful that His Excellency the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, was the right man in the right place at the right time,” says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. Bainimarama made the comment while ackn­o­w­ledging the work done by the President, whose term as Head of State comes to an end in November.

No Syrian refugees for Fiji - Gov’t

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iji has no intention of bringing in Syrian refugees or refugees from any other country. This was the response of the Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola after questions were sent to him on whether Fiji had considered bringing in Syrian refugees or refugees from other countries. Ratu Inoke said the ministry did not have any plans to bring refugees into the country.

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32 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

PM Nawaz to address UN General Assembly on Sept 30

Refugees from conflict ridden areas of Pakistan also heading to Europe & Canada

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M Nawaz Sharif will address the annual United Nations General Assembly on September 30 and details of the visit are still being chalked out, Foreign Office spokesman Syed Qazi Khalilullah said on Thursday. “The prime minister’s speech before UNGA is being finalised,” the spokesman said at a weekly news briefing in Islamabad.

Pakistan delays hanging of paraplegic convict

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akistan has postponed the execution of the country’s first known paraplegic on death-row, about an hour before he was to be hanged, official said. The man’s family welcomed the development with relief and urged authorities to spare his life on medical grounds. The day before, Pakistan’s supreme court refused to halt the execution of 43-year-old Abdul Basit, who has been paralyzed from the waist down since contracting meningitis in prison in 2010 and uses a wheelchair. Basit has been on death row since 2009, convicted of murdering a man in a financial dispute in Punjab province. According to prison official Mohammad Safdar, a magistrate made the decision to postpone the death sentence after talking to Basit early Tuesday. The hanging was initially scheduled for just before dawn.

Just like the people from the war ravaged regions of the Middle East fleeing their homes, heading for Europe to save their lives, people from the conflict-hit areas of Pakistan also have been fleeing and heading for Europe, Australia, America and Canada. In fact the people starting migrating from Pakistan much before the unrest started in the Middle East after the emergence of Dai’sh or the IS (Islamic State). People migrating from Pakistan fall in two different categories. First, who were initially affected by the war on terror spearheaded by the US against Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and later they got sandwiched between the militants of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistan Army, when the large-scale military operation ‘Zarbe-Azb’ was launched against the militants, particularly focused on the Tribal Areas of Pakistan and in general all over the country.

And, the second are the religious minorities like Shia Hazara community of Baluchistan and the third is a small number of Ahmadis, a community declared non-Muslims by Pakistan constitutionally. “Both the Shias, especially the Hazara community in Baluchistan and the Ahmadis are victims of religious persecution. Though these Pakistanis are not migrating in hoards like we have been seeing from Iraq and Syria but there has been a steady trickle for many a years now,” said Mubarik Ahmed Virk, a veteran Pakistani journalist. Unable to fulfill legal requirements, very few Pakistanis believe to follow the legal process for immigration. Majority of them adopt a course, which is not only illegal but full of hazards, to reach the shores of Europe. They spend hefty amounts to smugglers and traffickers of criminal syndicates to take them to Europe. They sell them false dreams of green pastures through death-defying road to Europe. The amount they pay to their agents ranges between $8,000 and $13,000.

“I spent Rs1.3 million ($13,000) to reach here after journeying for nine months. Now, I am waiting for an opportunity to cross into England. In last five months, I was caught three times while hiding in a lorry. I hope to succeed this time,” said Shoaib Afridi, a resident of Jamrud town of Khyber tribal region. “I’ve now stopped interaction with my family which sent me here with high expectations. I’ve not sent a single penny in last nine months and they ask for paying off the debt they had borrowed for sending me here,” he said. Afridi lives with six Pashto-speaking Afghan nationals in a tent in a forest in Calais, France. About 600 Pashtuns, most of them from Afghanistan, live under tarpaulins and tents in densely forested area of Calais along with about 2600 imigrants from other countries waiting for their chances to enter England, their dream world. In the past, majority of Afghans traveled to Europe, Australia and Canada along with Pakistanis on route passing through Baluchistan into Iran via Taftan border. Nevertheless, after December 16, 2014 attack on school in Peshawar, Pakistani authorities started a crackdown on Afghan refugees and the harsh treatment meted out to them by police compelled them to leave the country. Those who have returned to Afghanistan now use a route that passes through their country’s Nimroz province into Iran and then onwards to Turkey and other European countries. From Taftan, a border area between Pakistan and Iran, the immigrants travel on foot and at times changing vehicles to reach the Turkish border and then onwards to. From Istanbul, they use two routes to enter into Europe, one via sea to Greece and the other passing through Bulgaria. Javed Ali, a resident of Sargodha in Punjab province, has paid $8000 to the travel agents with the assurance that they will cross him to Europe. “They took us to Quetta (cap-

Nine terroirsts to be hanged as Army chief approves the death sentences Pakistan has approved the death sentence of nine terrorists involved in various activities, a media report said.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations statement, Pakistan army chief general Raheel Sharif on Monday confirmed the death sentences of nine terrorists involved in the killing of civilians and security personnel, Dawn online reported. The statement said, terrorists were involved in the killing of Major General Sanaullah, General Officer Commanding for Malakand division, and Lt Col Tauseef Ahmed during an attack on the military convoy in Swat. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the attack. ital of Pakistan’s Baluchistan province). We stayed there for one week,” said Ali, 43, and a father of three kids. “One night the smugglers loaded us in containers and on the next move we were in Iran.” The journey from Iran to Turkey and Cyprus was the hardest one, Ali recalled. “It was a good opportunity to join the international immigrants (a reference to the refugees from Syria and Iraq,” said Ali. His journey is not yet over but he thinks that after few years this hardship will bring a lot of success. “I know it is dangerous but one has to take risks in life. I hope that I will make my future in Europe better than in my own country,” Ali said. During last decade, militant and sectarian outfits had targeted all religious minorities across Pakistan but Shia Hazara community of Baluchistan was worst hit by the onslaught of terrorism and sectarianism. They often use a different route that goes through Quetta-Karachi-Dubai and Indonesia.

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Volkswagen emissions rigging echoes similar scandals at GM, Toyota, Honda

V

olkswagen is the latest automaker in the hot seat, amid revelations the German company rigged emissions tests in more than 500,000 of its diesel-powered vehicles. The auto industry has been under scrutiny from U.S. regulators in recent years, after high-profile manufacturers, including General Motors, Toyota and Honda, concealed safety flaws in their vehicles that led to dangerous and sometimes deadly results. In the U.S., fines for auto infractions spiked this year — as has attention from investors. The market reacted swiftly Monday to Volkswagen, with shares plummeting by more than 17 per cent – or $19 billion Cdn. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also announced the automaker could face fines of up to $18 billion US. Following are some of the most expensive and deadly mistakes in auto industry history: 1. General Motors ignition switch It took General Motors more than 10 years to issue a recall for 2.6 million cars carrying an ignition switch now blamed for at least 124 deaths and 275 injuries. The firm admitted in September that it failed to disclose its small-car ignition switch could turn the car off while being driven, lock the steering wheel and also fail to set off airbags in a crash. There are internal reports about the problem dating back to 2002 in the Saturn Ion, Reuters reported.

The deception cost the company more than $1 billion US — and 15 people their jobs.

The firm reached a $900-million settlement with the U.S. government to avoid criminal charges. That figure is on top of $625 million that GM set aside as compensation for those injured or killed by the flawed ignition switch. Families of those who died will get at least $1 million.

GM agrees to pay $900M US to settle ignition switch probe General Motors admitted it failed to disclose to the public a deadly problem with small-car ignition switches as part of a $900 million deal reached with U.S. federal authorities to avoid criminal charges, authorities announced Thursday. The automaker will retain an independent monitor to review and assess its policies to ensure compliance with the agreement with the government, according to court papers released by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan.

The deal does not have any application in Canada, though there are Canadian deaths linked to the GM ignition switch fault. “The agreement reached is part of the U.S. legal system, applies to GM USA, and falls outside of Canadian legal purview,” a Transport Canada spokeswoman said in an email. Besides the $900 million forfeiture and the monitor, the deal calls for two criminal charges to be dismissed if the company complies with terms of the agreement for three years. The $900 million must be paid by Sept. 24. The two-count criminal information accuses GM of wire fraud and scheming to conceal material facts from a government regulator.

2. Hyundai-Kia fuel efficiency settlement Hyundai and its affiliate, Kia, found themselves in a similar situation to Volkswagen after an audit by the U.S. EPA in 2012 uncovered that some of its cars were not as fuel efficient as the firms claimed them to be. The 2012 and 2013 Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Veloster and Santa Fe, and the Kia Rio and Soul overstated their fuel efficiency by between one and 2.5 kilometres per litre, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company called it an “honest mistake”, but the regulator disagreed, handing it a $100-million fine and ordering it to return $200-million in greenhouse gas emission credits, Forbes. That marked the largest-ever fine under the United States Clean Air Act. Canadian affiliates of the carmaker also reached civil settlements of $70 million with customers here, while it cost the firm’s American arm $400-million US to settle a class-action lawsuit. 3. Toyota’s ‘sticky’ gas pedals Toyota’s sterling safety reputation took a hit in 2009 when the company issued a recall after reports surfaced that certain vehicles would accelerate without warning. Japan’s largest automaker first blamed the problem on floor

mats jamming the gas pedals; by 2011, more than 12 deaths were linked to the problem. The firm ended up recalling 10 million cars and redesigning the accelerator. Toyota reached a $1.2-billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in March 2014 after a fouryear criminal investigation found the firm concealed the flaws when first discovered.

“Rather than promptly disclosing and correcting safety issues ... Toyota made misleading public statements to consumers and gave inaccurate facts to members of Congress,” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in March 2014. The firm’s market share dipped after the initial recalls, but Toyota returned as the world’s top-selling automaker in 2013. 4.

Fiat Chrysler’s botched safety recalls The U.S. Department of Transportation strengthened its fines against car manufacturers in 2015 after heavy criticism for its handling of the GM ignition switch failure. The government fined Fiat Chrysler $105 million on July 26, edging out the record-setting $70-million penalty against Honda in January, after an investigation found the Italian-American automaker botched 23 safety recalls that would have affected 11 million vehicles. As part of the deal, Fiat Chrysler also agreed to buy back or repair 500,000 of its top-selling model, the Ram pickup. Some of the truck’s steering parts were found to be defective, leading to drivers losing control of the vehicle. The firm was also ordered to compensate more than 1.5 million Jeep owners after investigators found that certain older models had their gas tanks directly behind the rear axle.

That meant the tanks could be compromised and start leaking gas if the driver got hit from behind. 5. Takata airbags spew metal More than 35 million vehicles got caught up in a massive recall of flawed airbags made

by Japanese auto-parts manufacturer Takata.

Saturday, September 26 2015 i 33

Volkswagen Canada halts some sales as emissions rigging scandal deepens

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olkswagen Canada has stopped sales of many of its diesel models in this country following revelations late last week that the automaker had rigged emissions tests for almost 500,000 diesel cars in the U.S. “Volkswagen Canada has issued a stop-sale order to our dealers for all of the affected vehicles pending resolution of this matter,” company spokesman Thomas Tetzlaff said in an email to CBC News on Monday. VW intentionally violated clean air standards, the U.S. EPA says The stop-sale order, which echoed a similar order in the U.S., came three days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that half a million diesel-powered VWs had been programmed to bypass emission controls, except during emissions tests. “A sophisticated software algorithm on certain Volkswagen vehicles detects when the car is undergoing official missions testing, and turns full emissions controls on only during the test. In Canada, the affected diesel models include: The VW Jetta — model years 2009-15.

The VW Golf — from 2010-15.

The VW Beetle — from 2013-15.

The VW Passat — from 2012-15.

The VW Golf Wagon / Sportwagon — from 2009-15.

Diesel-powered models account for 22 per cent of VW’s Canadian sales.

Environment Canada told CBC News it collaborates on emissions verification activities with the U.S. EPA “to ensure our common environmental outcomes are achieved,” and pointed out that its emissions standards are aligned with U.S. standards. In an email statement issued Monday, Environment Canada said it has “acted quickly to examine potential implications

for Canada, and is in communications with its U.S. EPA counterparts and representatives of Volkswagen Group Canada Inc.” Defeat devices are prohibited under Canadian regulations, Environment Canada said, and promised to take action if violations to those regulations are found.

The EPA and Environment Canada both stressed that the effectiveness of a vehicle’s air pollutant control devices is not a safety issue and the cars remain legal to drive.

But the EPA said they are a threat to public health. Automotive consumer advocate Phil Edmonston, who authors the annual Lemon-Aid used car and truck guide, said he was surprised by the Volkswagen news.

“Up until now, VW has been a pretty upstanding company,” he told CBC News.

So why take the risk? “Diesel engines are hard to clean up,” Edmonston noted, musing that the rigged emissions tests may have been a short cut. Volkswagen CEO ‘deeply sorry’ Volkswagen’s CEO apologized but investors were not in a forgiving mood as the company’s stock plunged more than 17 per cent Monday, chopping the market value of VW’s stock by more than $19 billion Cdn. “I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public,” Martin Winterkorn said in a weekend statement.

The EPA ordered VW to fix the cars and VW said it would co-operate with regulators. But the damage to the automaker’s image is nothing less than catastrophic.

VW had marketed its diesel-powered cars as being better for the environment. The EPA said the VW cars under investigation seemed to pass emissions tests, but in the real world, were actually emitting up to 40 times the national standard for nitrogen oxide.

34 i Saturday, September 26, 2015

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SOUTH ASIA

Rajapaksa questioned by Lanka’s anti-graft panel

ormer Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa was today questioned by a special anti-corruption panel for allegedly not paying Rs 10.1 million dues to a state-owned TV channel for carrying out his 2015 presidential campaign propaganda. The officials of Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate and inquire into serious acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power (PRECIFAC) visited Rajapaksa’s residence and recorded his statement. The 69-yearold former strongman was questioned over non-payment of money owed to ITN TV for broadcasting his poll advertisements during

the election campaign, officials said. An audit inquiry conducted by the ITN TV found that from November 24, 2015 to January 5, Rajapaksa had paid Rs 62 million to the channel for election advertisements. However, he still owes Rs 10.1 million for advertisements carried out during the period. At the same period, the channel, which had agreed to air advertisements worth Rs 44 million of Rajapaksa’s rival Maiithripala Sirisena during the January

polls, only aired advertisement worth of Rs 2.6 million despite the agreement.

Since Rajapaksa was defeated

by Sirisena in the presidential elections, the Rajapaksa family has faced multiple tribunals for alleged wrong doings. Rajapaksa and his supporters have dubbed these as political vendetta.

His brothers Basil and Gotabhaya and elder son Namal have also been questioned in different graft cases since January.

Nepal’s PM cancels US visit amid protests over constitution

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epal’s prime minister Sushil Koirala on Wednesday cancelled his plans to visit the US to attend the UN General Assembly session amid a raging political crisis in the country over the new constitution that has triggered deadly protests in areas bordering India. Koirala cancelled his visit to hold talks with the Madhesi and other regional groups opposed to the constitution adopted on Sunday. Madhesis are Indian-origin people living on the foothills of Nepal’s Terai region. The cancellation of the visit comes two days after India expressed concern over the violence in Terai districts and asked the government to resolve the issue politically through peaceful means of dialogue instead of using force.

Now deputy prime minister and Nepali Congress general secretary Prakash Man Singh will lead the the country’s delegation to the UN. “I have to lead the Nepalese delegation to New York, as prime minister Koirala has important task of holding talks with the agitating Madhesi parties at home,” Singh told PTI before flying to the US. Foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey and other officials of the ministry of foreign affairs included in the delegation.

The Madhesi parties are opposed to the new constitution adopted through the constituent assembly. More than 40 people have died in southern and western Nepal where Madhesi parties and Tharu ethnic groups have been protesting for more than a month over splitting the country into seven provinces.

India, Iran and Afghanistan come together for international transit corridor

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ne of the reasons why the port project is important for India as it will facilitate access to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan. Over the past 2 days, officials from the 3 countries have met to finalize agreement for a Chabahar transit corridor. “We are looking at a trilateral transit corridor MoU,” India’s ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha told TOI. While India and Iran are developing the Chabahar port jointly, Sinha said, Afghan businesses are investing in the attached free trade zone where Iran has allotted land for Afghan investors. For India, Chabahar port is an important initiative involving three partners, and is a critical alternate trade route for Afghanistan. What came as a shot in the arm for India was that the port was welcomed by all regional partners of Afghanistan at the VI RECCA (Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan) conference held in Kabul The transit corridor will be significant for Afghanistan too with President Ashraf Ghani declaring that his country wants to revitalize the Silk Road and act as a regional hub for connecting South Asia with Central Asia. Indian officials said though that the primary motivation for the port and transit corridor was not bypassing Pakistan. We are actually hoping that Pakistan too at some stage will join all trade and transit agreements being negotiated under Saarc by all other member nations?,” said an Indian official.

After the latest round of talks for the corridor, Azer News quoted Iran officials as saying that along with other international corridors -- the North-South ITC, the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran road corridor, and the so-called Ashgabat agreement on international transportation signed by Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Oman -- the

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36 i Saturday, September 26, 2015