THE latest Nanos federal ballot tracking (March 8) has the Conservatives at 36.1 per cent, followed by the Liberals at 32.9 per cent.
The NDP is at 17.9 percent, the Bloc Quebecois (BQ) at 3.6 per cent, the Greens at 8.3 per cent and the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) at 0.5 per cent.
Asked whether they would consider voting for each of the federal parties, 48.2 per cent of Canadians say they would consider voting Liberal while 46.2 per cent would consider voting Conservative. Four in 10 (38.6%) would consider voting NDP, 30.2 per cent would consider voting Green, 10.7 per cent would consider voting for the People’s Party and 23.6 per cent would consider voting for the BQ.
Nanos tracking has Justin Trudeau as the preferred choice as Prime Minister at 32.5 per cent of Canadians, followed by Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer (25.2%), NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh (7.4%), Green Party Leader Elizabeth May (7.1%) and PPC Leader Maxime Bernier (2.5%). Twenty-four per cent of Canadians were unsure whom they preferred.
Half of Canadians (49.9%) believe Trudeau has the qualities of a good political leader, while 40.2 per cent believe Scheer has the qualities of a good political leader. One in four (28.3%) say Jagmeet Singh has the qualities of a good political leader, while 36.2 per cent believe the same about May. One in six (17.9%) believe Bernier has the qualities of a good political leader and 25.2 per cent said BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet has the qualities of a good political leader (Quebec only).
THREE of the province’s startup companies and government are at the BC Tech Summit to demonstrate how their projects benefit British Columbians.
The Startup in Residence (STIR) program pairs small tech firms with public servants to collaborate on technology challenges. Companies join the Province on a 16-week virtual residency to create and test solutions they can later market to customers around the world.
“It is so inspiring to see the result of the collaboration between the tech startups and ministry staff because each team created an innovative solution to a complex problem in a short period of time,” said Jinny Sims, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “STIR helps government benefit from cutting-edge advances in the tech sector, while also promoting growth in an industry that creates well-paying jobs.”
The program’s second group developed solutions to challenges in economic development, First Nations negotiations and consultation with British Columbians:
* The Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology teamed up with Victoria’s OrpheusKey to make it easier for organizations to find funding for projects to grow B.C.’s economy;
* Vancouver-based UrbanLogiq Software helped the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation respond more effectively in negotiations with First Nations, a critical aspect of government’s commitment to reconciliation;
* The Environmental Assessment Office benefited from the expertise of Victoria’s Kinsol Research to better understand British Columbians’ opinions on potential development projects.
“Startup in Residence is a game changer for early-stage tech companies operating throughout B.C.,” said Raghwa Gopal, President and CEO, Innovate BC. “The program’s focus on collaboration, teamwork and creative problem solving reflects how startups do business, making it easier for them to gain the valuable experience of working with government.”
Competing for government contracts can be costly and time consuming, which is especially challenging for small businesses. STIR reduces these barriers by streamlining the approach.
Participating teams receive $10,000 during their residency and each STIR project has the potential to continue for up to four years through annual government contracts. The program also gives small companies the ability to reference the B.C. government as a customer when marketing their products.
Quick Facts
* Each of the three companies in the program’s second group employ fewer than 15 people and are based in British Columbia.
* B.C. has one of the fastest-growing tech sectors in Canada – leading the nation in revenue growth and job creation.
* The province’s tech sector directly employs more than 114,000 people and produced approximately $31.3 billion in revenue in 2017.
Allison Briggs (centre) from Covenant House, accepts a $5,000 cheque earned by Princess Margaret Secondary students Muskan Heir and Palak Vashisht through their Youth Philanthropy Initiative project.
Allison Briggs (centre) from Covenant House, accepts a $5,000 cheque earned by Princess Margaret Secondary students Muskan Heir and Palak Vashisht through their Youth Philanthropy Initiative project.
AN organization that helps homeless and at-risk youth is receiving a $5,000 donation, thanks to a pair of Princess Margaret (PM) Secondary students.
The Surrey secondary school held its first-ever Youth and Philanthropy Initiative event recently. YPI grants thousands of dollars to community charities each year, based on the research and advocacy of students, who present their projects to judges.
Six teams that have been working on their projects since November presented on their various charities at the PM event.
Grade 10 students Muskan Heir and Palak Vashisht took first place, earning a $5,000 grant for their chosen charity, Covenant House Vancouver. Covenant House provides shelter and other supports for street youth who have fled abuse, been forced from their homes or who have aged out of foster care.
Teacher Pam Sandhu said YPI was an invaluable learning tool for this year’s students, providing them the opportunity to step out into the community and learn about the different social issues people are facing. By selecting local charities to research, visit and advocate for, they also learned about the valuable work charities are doing to address these issues.
“These students demonstrated how to not only become advocates for social change but also to reflect on their part in making our communities more compassionate and caring places for everyone to live,” said Sandhu.
YPI was created by the Toskan Casale Foundation in 2002, as a way to help grow compassionate communities. It is a program where youth, schools, charities, and funders work together to support local charities and vulnerable people through grants and public awareness.
A Chilliwack man has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the homicide of Christine Denham, 42.
On February 26, at about 1 p.m., the Chilliwack RCMP responded to a residence in the 9400-block of Victor Street and found Denham inside the home with a gunshot wound. She was taken to hospital but succumbed to her injuries on March 1.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) took conduct of the file and determined early on that this was not a random act.
In the ensuing days, IHIT and its partners followed the evidence trail and presented their case to the B.C. Prosecution Service for charge approval consideration.
On March 8, 41-year-old Shane Travis Hughes was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for Denham’s death. The two were known to each other.
“This investigation highlights IHIT’s unwavering resolve to gather and compile the evidence in a timely manner,” said IHIT Cpl. Frank Jang. “The work is not done for IHIT as investigators will be busy completing final disclosure packages for furtherance to Crown Counsel and victim services will continue to provide support for Ms. Denham’s family in the days ahead.”
Anyone with information, who have yet to come forward to police, is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
SURREY RCMP are now in the wrapping-up stage of their investigation into the allegations of election fraud that were made last September during the civic election campaign.
“We are just finishing the report to Crown and will be submitting it within a month,” Cpl. Elenore Sturko said on Monday.
The RCMP will present what evidence they have gathered and submit it to the Crown that will review the report to determine whether any charges will be laid and whether there is any likelihood of conviction.
Sturko noted that right from the start the RCMP had said that there would be no timeline because they would be doing a thorough investigation. It would depend on the complexity of the case and how much information there would be to go through.
The vote fraud allegations were made by the Wake Up Surrey group.
Punjabi journalist and Wake Up Surrey organizer Gurpreet (Lucky) Singh Sahota had claimed that several people had complained that they are being pressured by their boss or some relative to participate in the fraud scheme. He estimated that as many as 15,000 votes could have been cast by mail in this fraud scheme that involved misuse of absentee ballots.
Election BC had said that it was not involved in local elections and suggested Wake Up Surrey should take it up with Surrey’s chief electoral officer.
Surrey RCMP announced in October that their investigation into the allegations of fraud in the applications to vote by mail had revealed that 67 of these applications were fraudulent in that they were not completed or signed by the voter listed on the application.
Two of these applications requested ballots be sent to addresses that were not associated to the named applicant. The other 65 applications listed the applicant’s correct address for delivery of the voting ballot.
Investigators had at the time identified and interviewed two persons of interest in this investigation. However, they said that further investigation would be required to determine if criminal charges or charges under the Local Government Act were warranted.
Till then, 69 out of 73 people whose personal information was used to complete the application to vote by mail had been interviewed.
No ballots were sent out to any individuals or residences based on the fraudulent applications. The process to apply for a mail ballot was amended by the Chief Elections Officer on October 1 to preserve the integrity of the election.
On October 3, the Surrey RCMP had set up a dedicated phone line for this investigation.
Concurrent to the investigation of the vote by mail applications, Surrey RCMP was made aware of third hand information regarding international students providing personal details in exchange for money. Till then, investigators had not located any evidence to substantiate these claims nor had any victims come forward to police.
Surrey RCMP asked anyone who believed they had been or may have been induced or intimidated for votes or personal information for voting purposes to report it directly to the police through their dedicated phone line for this investigation at 604-599-7848.
ON behalf of the Healthy Communities Initiative Steering Committee, you are invited to the launch of an innovative initiative on March 14. “What’s in your thali?” is a progressive, one-of-a-kind menu labelling initiative developed for places of worship, to support congregants in making informed choices when partaking in communal meals. The first place of worship to implement this initiative is the Ontario Khalsa Darbar.
The Ontario Khalsa Darbar (OKD) is one of the largest Sikh gurdwaras in Canada and attracts congregants from across the GTA. Aligned with the practices of the Sikh faith, OKD hosts a free community kitchen (known as “langar”) which serves meals to all people, regardless of their faith or social background, all day, and throughout the year. The gurdwara serves over 3,000 free meals per day, and even more during celebratory or special events. In total, well over 1.5 million meals are served annually.
Through this menu labelling initiative, congregants will be able to view nutritional information about the meals they consume that are part of langar offerings, as well as routinely offered tea and snacks. The nutritional information was developed with the support of accredited health professionals in partnership with the Stop Diabetes Foundation, and reflects the exact recipes and methods of preparation that are used in the gurdwara kitchen. The calorie counts visible on the board are aligned to what patrons of any Ontario chain restaurant are accustomed to seeing.
“What’s in your thali?” is being launched on March 14, the first day of the month of Chet, which coincides with the Sikh new year. Over the coming months, registered dietitians and kinesiologists will host focused workshop sessions at the gurdwara on healthy eating and physical activity which will support congregants in how to make and sustain healthy choices.
THE Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is requesting public assistance to further its investigation into the shooting death of a Chilliwack man.
On March 10, at around 6:30 a.m., the Chilliwack RCMP responded to a shooting in the 45700-block of Alexander Avenue. Emergency services arrived to find 33-year-old James Vidal with gunshot wounds. He succumbed to his injuries at scene. IHIT was called in to take conduct of the investigation.
IHIT is working closely with the Chilliwack RCMP Serious Crime Unit to interview several witnesses. IHIT crime scene investigators worked alongside forensic specialists from the Integrated Forensic Identification Services to collect physical evidence. IHIT will continue to liaise with the B.C. Coroners Service and a post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted this week.
Information gathered so far suggests Vidal was known to police and his murder is not believed to be a random act.
“We are fortunate that no one else was hurt as a result of this careless act,” said Cpl. Frank Jang of IHIT. “IHIT will be aggressively pushing forward on its investigative avenues and we are looking to the community to partner with us in solving this murder.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448), or email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
SinceFebruary 28, Abacus Data has been interviewing 300 people each day and rolling three days of data into a snapshot of public opinion over those three days.
Over the three days, they interview a representative sample of 900 Canadian adults online. The comparable margin of error is +/- 3.3%, 19 times out of 20. Each wave is weighted to match the Canadian population by age, gender, region, language, and educational attainment.
Here’s a quick look at some of the dynamics its tracking has captured:
THE Conservatives have a slight lead over the Liberals. Based on the sample size, there’s an 89% chance the Conservatives are in the lead. There’s an 11% chance the Liberals are ahead.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s personal image remains in the red. The gap between those with a positive view and those with a negative one has persisted since former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Jody Wilson-Raybould’s testimony.
But Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s image hasn’t benefited from the SNC-Lavalin controversy. Those with a positive view of the Conservative leader has dropped 5 points since Wilson-Raybould’s testimony.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has seen almost no change in impressions over this period, which also included his by-election win in Burnaby South at the end of February.
By Saturday, Trudeau had opened up an 8-point lead over Scheer on who Canadians would prefer as PM after the next election.
Attention to the controversy hasn’t really changed since Wilson-Raybould’s testimony. All the movement is within the comparable margin of error.
The percentage of those thinking Trudeau should resign as PM has declined over time. Yesterday, 34% were inclined to say “yes” he should resign, the lowest Abacus Data has tracked since February 28.
Elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19 and votes will be counted on May 23
New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora during a press conference to announce the 2019 Lok Sabha election schedule at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, on March 10, 2019. (Photo: IANS)
New Delhi (IANS): With the Election Commission announcing the Lok Sabha poll schedule on Sunday, political parties are expected to expedite the process of candidate selection as also that of forming alliances in the next few days.
While the Congress has come with its first list of 15 candidates that includes names of party chief Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to come up with its first list, which is expected this week.
The opposition parties in Bihar have not yet announced their grand alliance in the state. There has also been no formal announcement of a tie-up in Jammu and Kashmir as also in West Bengal.
In Delhi, though the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has declared its candidates on most of the seats and Congress has declared its intentions to fight separately, there is still speculation of the possibility of the two parties coming together.
The notification for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls will be made on March 18 and the last date of filing nominations is March 25. The polling of the first phase for 91 seats across 20 states will be held on April 11, almost a month from now.
The political parties are expected to draw out a detailed schedule of campaigning by their top leaders over the next few days as also give final touches to their manifestos.
THE Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19 and the votes will be counted on May 23, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced on Sunday.
Calling the Indian parliamentary battle the “largest festival of democracy”, he said that 91 constituencies (spread across 20 states) will see polling on April 11, 97 constituencies (13 states) on April 18, 115 (14) on April 23, 71 (9) on April 29, 51 (7) on May 6, 59 (also 7) on May 12 and 59 constituencies (8 states) on May 19.
The staggered election will see about 900 million voters, up from 814.5 million in 2014, when Narendra Modi led the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to power ending a decade of Congress-headed UPA rule.
Of this, some 15 million will be first-time voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years.
Approximately 1 million polling stations, 100,000 more than in 2014, will be set up and a total of 1.74 million VVPATs will be used with electronic voting machines (EVMs) in all polling stations, Arora told a crowded press conference.
“The Election Commission has attempted a very comprehensive preparation for the conduct of the election”, he said.
“The panel believes that purity of electoral roll is the foundation of fair elections,” he added.
ASSEMBLY elections will also be simultaneously held in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim while the demand of parties for Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir has not been accepted due to security considerations, Arora said at the media conference flanked by ECs Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra.
The Assembly elections in these four states will be held on the day the states choose their Lok Sabha representatives.
By-elections to 34 Assembly seats in 12 states, including 18 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, which could decide the fortunes of the ruling AIADMK, will be held simultaneously.
In the last Lok Sabha polls, held over nine phases, the BJP under Modi got a single-party majority of 282 seats for the first time, which was also the first for any party in 30 years.
The 17th Lok Sabha polls will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19.
In the first phase, 91 seats spread across 20 states and union territories – Andhra Pradesh (25), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Maharashtra (7), Manipur (1), Meghalaya (2) Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1) Odisha (4), Sikkim (1) Telangana (17), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarkhand (5), West Bengal (2), Andaman and Nicobar (1) and Lakshadweep (1).
A total of 97 seats in 13 states and a union territory will go to polls in the second phase on April 18 – Assam (5), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (3), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (10), Manipur (1), Odisha (5), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (8), West Bengal (3) and Puducherry (1).
Phase three on April 23 will see polling in 115 seats across 14 states and union territories – Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Gujarat (26), Goa (2), Jammu and Kashmir (1), Karnataka (14), Kerala (20), Maharashtra (14), Odisha (6), Uttar Pradesh 10, West Bengal (5), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1) and Daman and Diu (1).
Elections in phase four on April 29 will be held in 71 seats across nine states – Bihar (5), Jammu and Kashmir (1), Jharkhand (3), Madhya Pradesh (6), Maharashtra (17), Odisha (6), Rajasthan (13), Uttar Pradesh (13) and West Bengal (8).
Phase five on May 6 will witness polling in 51 seats in seven states – Bihar (5), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Jharkhand (4), Madhya Pradesh (7), Rajasthan (12), Uttar Pradesh (14) and West Bengal (7).
On May 12, in the sixth phase of polling covering 59 seats in seven states – Bihar (8), Haryana (10), Jharkhand (4), Madhya Pradesh (8), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (8) and Delhi (7).
In the final phase of polling on May, elections will be held in 59 seats in eight states – Bihar (8), Jharkhand (3), Madhya Pradesh (8), Rajasthan (13), Punjab (13), West Bengal (9), Chandigarh (1), Uttar Pradesh 13 and Himachal Pradesh (4).
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi and Chandigarh will have a single-day polling.
Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura will have a two-phased, while Assam and Chhattisgarh will have three-phased elections. Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha will have four phases while Jammu and Kashmir will have five phases.
No state has six-phased polling. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will have polling in seven phases.
Arora said the phases have been decided due to several factors including the availability of central paramilitary forces, who move by trains from state to state.
On simultaneous Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been demanded by the mainstream parties during the tour of the state by the Commission, the CEC said that they were making an announcement only about the parliamentary polls due to factors such as constraints of requirement of forces for security of candidates.
“Keeping the totality of factors in mind, the schedule of only parliamentary polls in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is being announced,” he said.
With January 1 this year as the cut off date, the total number of voters in this elections are likely to be around 900 million, which is over 83 million compared to the last polls in 2014. There are about 15 million voters in the age group of 18 to 19.
TWO Brampton (Ontario) school students, sisters Ashka and Anushka Dixit from Chinguacousy Secondary School and Centennial Senior Public School, respectively, along with their parents and grandparents were among the 157 people who died when their Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 jetliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi on Sunday.
The Peel District School Board tweeted: “This tragedy has brought great sadness to the students and staff at Centennial Sr. Public School and Chinguacousy Secondary School.”
According to reports, Ashka Dixit, 14, and Anushka Dixit, 13, were on a family vacation with their parents, 37-year-old Kosha Vaidya and 45-year-old Preit Dixit, and their grandparents, Pannagesh Vaidya and Hansini Vaidya.
Manant Vaidya told the media about their parents, sister, brother-in-law and nieces were on a trip to Kenya because his sister wanted to show her daughters where she was born. They also wanted to take in a safari. Her parents also agreed to accompany them.
PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday said that he was deeply saddened by the plane crash near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that claimed the lives of 157 people, including 18 Canadian citizens.
Trudeau said: “On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our heartfelt condolences to those who have lost family, friends, and loved ones as a result of this tragedy. While the causes of the crash continue to be investigated, the safety and security of all Canadians remains our primary concern.
“We are providing consular assistance, and working closely with authorities to gather further information. We join the international community in mourning the loss of so many lives, including those countries who have also lost citizens in this devastating crash. I am reaching out to President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed to express my condolences for this tragic event.”
Friends and relatives of Canadian citizens believed to be on board can contact Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling 613-996-8885 or 1-800-387-3124, or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca. Canadian citizens in Ethiopia requiring consular assistance should contact the Canadian Embassy in Addis Ababa at 251 (0) 11 317 0000 or call (collect) the Global Affairs Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre at +1 613 996-8885.
ETHIOPIAN Airlines Group CEO expressed his deep regrets at the fatal accident involved on ET 302 / March 10 on a scheduled flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.
The airlines in a statement said: “The group CEO who is at the accident scene right now regrets to confirm that there are no survivors.
“He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident.
“Ethiopian Airlines will release further information as soon as it is available. Updated information will also be on Ethiopian Airlines website at www.ethiopianairlines.ca”
THE University of Carleton said its community “is shocked and devastated to learn of the death of Prof. Pius Adesanmi (see photo), who was among the 18 Canadians killed in today’s crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet at the Addis Ababa airport.”
“Pius was a towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship and his sudden loss is a tragedy,” said Benoit-Antoine Bacon, President and Vice Chancellor. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew and loved him, and with everyone who suffered loss in the tragic crash in Ethiopia.”
