Home Blog Page 1862

Darshan Singh Padam located deceased: Surrey RCMP

Darshan Singh Padam
Darshan Singh Padam

SURREY RCMP announced on Thursday that Darshan Singh Padam, 58, who was reported missing on October 9, has been located deceased. The death is not suspicious.
This file is now being transitioned to the BC Coroners Service.

 

 

 

World Sikh Organization welcomes Ontario motorcycle helmet exemption for Sikhs

WSO President Mukhbir Singh.
WSO President Mukhbir Singh.

THE World Sikh Organization of Canada welcomed Wednesday’s announcement by the Ontario Government to exempt turbaned Sikh motorcyclists from helmet requirements as of October 18.
Last week, MPP Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria introduced a bill to amend the Highway Traffic Act to exempt turban wearers from helmet requirements, but the government said Wednesday it would provide the exemption through a regulation.

Ontario becomes the fourth province in Canada to exempt turbaned Sikhs from motorcycle helmet requirements, alongside British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta. Sikhs in Ontario had long called upon the Ontario government to provide the exemption.

In 2010, the WSO intervened in the R. v. Badesha case where Baljinder Singh Badesha challenged Ontario’s motorcycling helmet requirements for Sikhs. Though Badesha’s appeal was unsuccessful, the court said in its decision that nothing precluded the government from voluntarily providing turbaned Sikh riders with the exemption.

WSO President Mukhbir Singh said: “We welcome today’s announcement by the Ontario government. The helmet exemption for Sikh motorcyclists in Ontario has been a long time coming and follows similar exemptions across the world and even in Canada that have been in place for decades. Creating an exemption for Sikh motorcyclists allows them to ride their motorcycles without having to compromise with the requirements of their faith. There has been no impact on road safety due to the exemptions for Sikh riders in British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta. Any increased safety risk by declining to wear a helmet is borne directly by the individual making the choice to do so. While not everyone may agree with the decision to wear a turban instead of a helmet, giving Sikhs the right to make that decision reflects the importance of freedom of religion and choice to us as a society”

NDP accuses BC Liberal Leader Wilkinson of shutting down proportional representation debate

Andrew Wilkinson

THE Mission Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday cancelled its involvement in Thursday’s BC Liberal-sponsored discussion on proportional representation because only BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson’s side was to be presented. 

https://www.missionchamber.bc.ca/events/details/chamber-event-cancelled-11995

Wilkinson then claimed on Facebook that the event was cancelled “due to political interference from the NDP,” says the NDP.

The NDP adds that facts say otherwise:

  • On October 3, the Chamber confirmed NDP MLA Ravi Kahlon as a speaker at the event.
  • On October 4, Kahlon was quickly uninvited. However he expressed his willingness to participate if the Chamber still wanted him to.
  • On October 10, the Chamber posted “Chamber event cancelled” and explained that “after a failed attempt to have both sides represented in the conversation at our October 11th Proportional Representation Discussion, The Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce will be withdrawing support of this event.”
Ravi Kahlon

Given that Kahlon had been confirmed and was fully willing to participate, it’s obvious Wilkinson decided he didn’t want to share the stage and have both sides represented, alleges the NDP.

“It’s obvious that Andrew Wilkinson and the BC Liberals have no real desire to debate proportional representation. The BC Liberals and their rich friends have tried to stop British Columbians from even having a referendum. And now he has proven that he doesn’t want British Columbians to hear both sides of this important question,” says Kahlon.

Richmond RCMP nab ‘bike bandits’

AT around 10 p.m. last Saturday (October 6), Richmond RCMP officers responded to a residence in the 6000-block of Maple Road for a disturbance in progress. The disturbance was due to a recent break-in to a residence. Multiple suspects, all wearing backpacks, allegedly fled from the scene on bicycles prior to the arrival of police.
Patrol officers from “Alpha Watch” quickly blanketed the area along with assistance from the Integrated Police Dog Services (IPDS).
One of the suspects was spotted near No. 3 Road and Penny Lane allegedly attempting to change clothing and alter his appearance. He fled after crashing his bicycle and was arrested near No. 3 Road and Lucas Road. The suspect is a 31-year-old male from Richmond and is well-known to police.
A second bicycle-riding suspect was tracked with the help of IPDS to a location near Bowcock Road and Moore Road. The 31-year-old female, also from Richmond, was arrested and is well-known to police.
Items that were recovered included stolen identity documents and break-in tools. Charges are pending.
“Police are urging the community to be mindful of all suspicious persons including cyclists at odd hours during the day and night. Many criminals are prohibited from driving vehicles and therefore use bicycles as means to get from point A and B. They typically use mountain bikes and can be found casing vehicles or residences for opportunities to commit crimes,” said Cpl. Dennis Hwang on Wednesday. “In this particular case, the police received excellent information from neighbours who were very attentive. They identified suspicious behaviour and were able to convey that information to our officers.”
He added: “Once again, the Richmond RCMP would like to remind the community to lock all doors and windows to their homes, ensure their garage is secure, and store vehicle keys out of sight. If you plan to be away for extended periods of time, please make sure your home is well-kept, well-lit, and properly maintained. Plan ahead and ensure someone checks your home regularly. If you observe suspicious behaviour, report it to police immediately.”

Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer meets Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh

Andrew Scheer and Amarinder Singh. Photo: IANS
Andrew Scheer and Amarinder Singh.
Photo: IANS

Chandigarh (IANS): Conservative Party Leader and Leader of the Opposition Andrew Scheer met Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Wednesday.

Scheer met Amarinder Singh at the Chief Minister’s residence and appreciated the role and contribution of hardworking Punjabis in Canada’s development and progress.

Scheer was accompanied by his wife Jill Scheer and Indian-origin MP Bob Saroya.

The Canadian leader is scheduled to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday.

 

No changes to veterans’ licence plate eligibility following consultations

Veteran licence plates
Veteran licence plate

FOLLOWING a six-week public engagement process with feedback from nearly 4,400 citizens, government will not expand the eligibility for B.C.’s Veterans’ Licence Plate (VLP) program to include police officers.

Since 2004, B.C.’s military veterans have been eligible to apply for a special VLP in honour and recognition of their service. Earlier this year, the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veterans’ Association and others had requested that government and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) consider allowing police officers – specifically RCMP – to be eligible as well.

Public feedback to the online survey showed a strong majority of respondents (63%) favoured keeping eligibility criteria the same, while only 36% were supportive of expanding it to include police officers. More than half of all respondents also took the time to leave a written comment about their perspective on the issue. Of those comments, 87% were either not supportive or in opposition to any expansion of the current criteria.

Feedback was received from all regions of the province. People with either only an armed forces background or only a police background were equally represented.

Across Canada, there is no uniform definition of “veteran” for the purposes of issuing specialty licence plates, nor is there one agreed to by all the stakeholder groups who represent people with military service.

The full engagement report can be found here: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/impact/veterans-licence-plates-results/

VLP program eligibility criteria: https://www.icbc.com/vehicle-registration/licence-plates/Pages/Licence-plates-for-veterans.aspx

Three charged after Vancouver Police officer assaulted during routine traffic stop (update)

Two are sons of former Hells Angel

 

AN officer with the Vancouver Police Department was sent to hospital Tuesday night with significant injuries after he was assaulted during a routine traffic stop in downtown Vancouver. Three suspects are in custody.

Crown Counsel on Wednesday approved criminal charges against West Vancouver residents, Brendan John Robinson, 21, and Troy Michael Robinson, 22, who are each charged with assault police officer causing bodily harm and willfully obstructing a police officer, and Brian Benjamin Allen, 24, of Victoria, who is charged with possession of stolen property under $5,000 for allegedly taking the injured officer’s cell phone.

Vancouver Sun’s Kim Bolan reported that the two Robinsons, who are brothers, are sons of Lloyd Robinson, who retired from the Hells Angels some years ago after a major undercover investigation in which a police agent infiltrated the gang by getting close to him.

Just before 10 p.m., two patrol officers observed a Dodge Durango drive through an area of Granville Street that has restricted vehicle access. The officers initiated a traffic stop on Robson Street between Granville and Seymour streets.

All three men in the vehicle were confrontational and verbally abusive. The officers became concerned for their safety as the occupants refused to follow police direction and began reaching under the seat. When one officer opened the passenger door, the front passenger pulled him into the vehicle and two men began to punch him repeatedly in his head and face. As the other officer rushed to help, all three men exited the vehicle and continued to assault the officers.

The officers called for emergency back-up and before help arrived, one of the men ran from the scene and was pursued by the uninjured officer. The suspect ran through a red light at Robson Street and Seymour Street and was struck by a vehicle. He continued to run until he was arrested by the pursuing officer on Richards Street between Robson and Smithe streets.

“This is an example of the risk all police officers face as they work to protect the citizens they serve. This sort of incident affects the entire policing community. We wish our officer a speedy recovery and will ensure the officer and his family have the support they need,” said Sgt. Jason Robillard.

The man that ran from the scene was uninjured but he was assessed at hospital and released. The injured police officer is now recovering at home from his injuries.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Vancouver police Department investigators at 604-717-2541 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Investigators are particularly interested in any cell phone video.

United Truckers’ Association to receive truck parking plans from all Surrey and Delta mayoral candidates

A weekend membership meeting of the United Truckers’ Association (UTA) conducted over the weekend secured commitments from all major mayoral candidates running in the cities of Surrey and Delta.

Tom Gill, Bruce Hayne and  Doug McCallum from Surrey, and Sylvia Bishop, George Harvie and Jim Cessford from Delta, all had the opportunity to speak to UTA members directly regarding their vision to provide better parking accommodations in the city in which they are running.

Commitments made verbally are easily forgotten, however, and that is why the UTA has requested written plans from all candidates by October 16, according to UTA spokesperson Gagan Singh.

“We heard some fantastic promises, but it is important for our organization to receive a written plan so that we can hold those who are elected to account,” says Singh.  “We intend to make the response publicly available for everyone to read, which for our trucking community, should have a significant impact on the way your members cast their ballots.”

All candidates in attendance agreed to provide their policy proposals, and the UTA is following up on this commitment with an email that will be sent to all campaigns on Wednesday morning.

The UTA will be posting all plans on their Facebook page on October 17: https://www.facebook.com/unitedtruckers/

Surrey RCMP asks public’s help to locate missing person Darshan Singh Padam

Darshan Singh Padam
Darshan Singh Padam

SURREY RCMP are requesting the public’s assistance in locating a missing male.

Darshan Singh Padam, 58, was last seen at 6 p.m. on October 8 in the 8500-block of 128th Street in Surrey. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Padam is described as 5’9” tall, 230 lb, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, a grey shirt and a black zip up vest. Police and family are concerned for his health and well-being.

It is out of character for this person to be out of touch this long.

Anyone with information about Padam’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca, quoting file number 2018-151145.

OBITUARY: BRAHAM SINGH COMBOW

Braham Singh Combow, 81 years old, of Moga passed away October 8 in White Rock, BC.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16 at Riverside Funeral Home, 7410 Hopcott Road, Delta (Phone: 604-940-1313).

Bhog will follow at Akali Singh Sikh Temple, 1890 Skeena Street, Vancouver (Phone: 604-254-3572).