ON October 27, the manager of a restaurant in the 9200-block of 120th Street reported that a customer had cut a cultural canvas near the washroom in his business, causing an estimated $2,500 in damages.
The man is described as South Asian, in his 20s, approximately 6 feet tall with a full dark beard, wearing a blue vest, black pants and a blue turban.
Delta Police are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the man pictured here. If you recognize this individual, please contact Constable Jeremy Pearce at 604-946-4411 and quote file 18-24076.
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart
Photo by Sukhwant Singh Dhillon
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart Photo by Sukhwant Singh Dhillon
DRIVERS in Metro Vancouver who pay for their parking with PayByPhone can now use the app in Punjabi. With approximately 6.2% of Metro Vancouver residents identifying Punjabi as their mother tongue, the addition of the language helps make the service more accessible across the region. Earlier this year PayByPhone also added support for Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Spanish.
To gain access to the newly supported language within PayByPhone, drivers can simply download the latest version of the app and set their iOS or Android device to Punjabi.
“We continuously strive to improve a user’s experience and providing drivers with the option to select their preferred language is one of the most effective ways to do this,” said Cindy Chau, Director, Key Accounts and Client Success, PayByPhone North America. “Of those in Metro Vancouver who have Punjabi as their mother tongue, over 69% reported it as their primary language spoken at home in the 2016 census, creating a strong use case to support it within the app.”
“As part of our efforts to make our services as friendly and as accessible to all residents as possible, we are very happy to have worked with PayByPhone to add the Punjabi to their system,” said Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart. “This is the fourth most common language spoken in Vancouver, and its addition is a great reflection of our uniquely diverse community.”
PayByPhone has served the Metro Vancouver Area since 2001, helping drivers easily pay for their parking at tens of thousands of locations across the city. The service also includes a variety of convenient features, such as text message reminders that are sent prior to a parking session expiring, and the option to extend parking times from anywhere. With the Park Until feature, drivers even have the ability to park overnight by paying for their next day’s parking in advance.
Ready to start using PayByPhone? Begin parking immediately by downloading the app or by visiting paybyphone.com. To access all of PayByPhone’s features, register for a free account today.
ATTORNEY General David Eby announced on Friday that ICBC is now forecasting a larger-than-expected loss of $890 million this fiscal year.
Eby said: “For too long, financial problems at ICBC were ignored and hidden from the public, resulting in a $1.3-billion net loss in 2017-18. Unfortunately, ICBC’s second-quarter results for 2018-19 show that its financial position remains serious.”
He added: “This financial situation reflects the mounting pressure ICBC is under from the rising number and cost of claims. The primary reasons are higher bodily injury costs, as well as claims taking longer to resolve, which often result in higher claims costs. A key driver of these costs is a growing trend toward plaintiff lawyers strategically building the value of the claim – costs which have to be paid for by ICBC ratepayers.
“These trends are becoming more severe. Since March 2017, the dollar value of settlements demanded by plaintiff lawyers for litigated files increased by 27%. The average cost of closed litigated injury claims for the first six months of ICBC’s fiscal year rose from $100,427 in 2017 to $121,686 in 2018, a 21% increase. Plaintiff counsel are also spending more to build their files, increasing their average cost of experts and reports by 20%.
“Given this situation, we are looking for ways to accelerate and add to our efforts to solve the financial problems at ICBC. Earlier this year, our government announced a suite of product changes to stem ICBC’s losses, provide enhanced care for people injured in crashes and to make insurance rates fairer. As a result of these changes, ICBC is projecting net savings of $1 billion annually. However, we won’t start seeing these savings until after most of the reforms take effect, starting April 1, 2019, after which we can expect more dramatic financial improvement. It is now clear that this government needs to look for even more ways – beyond what is already planned – to further reduce the escalating cost of claims.
“Our government is making different choices that will stem ICBC’s losses. We will continue to monitor ICBC’s financial situation and we are taking steps toward making B.C.’s auto insurance system work for people again.”
FOLLOWING intense speculation as to why Brampton East MP Raj Grewal suddenly announced his resignation earlier this week, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Friday that Grewal resigned from the Liberal caucus and as MP because of a gambling addiction and substantial debts.
“Earlier this week, Mr. Grewal told us that he is undergoing serious personal challenges, and that he is receiving treatment from a health professional related to a gambling problem that led him to incur significant personal debts. Based on these circumstances, we agreed that his decision to resign as Member of Parliament for Brampton East was the right one. We hope he receives the support he needs,” the PMO announced.
Earlier in the day, a report in iPolitics said that the chief government whip had told Liberal MPs not to publicly discuss the resignation.
The report said that an internal memo was sent to the MPs by chief government whip Mark Holland. It read: “I would ask that you please refrain from speculating or commenting publicly about Raj’s announcement. You can also refer any media questions to my office.” The Liberal Party’s website for Grewal has also been removed.
Grewal announced his resignation on Facebook on Thursday: “Yesterday, I informed the Chief Government Whip that I will be resigning my seat as Member of Parliament for Brampton East due to personal and medical reasons.
“To the people of Brampton East, serving as your MP has been the greatest privilege of my life. This has been a decision I’ve struggled with for some time now and one I made with great difficulty and real sadness. But I feel I need this time to focus on my health and family.
“I am grateful for your unwavering support over the past three years. Brampton East is and will always be a special part of my life. I will continue to work for this community and am hopeful I will have the opportunity to serve you again.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on Twitter: “I learned that Raj Grewal is facing serious personal challenges, and today he announced he is stepping down as Member of Parliament for Brampton East. While it may have been a difficult decision, it was the right one. I hope he receives the support he needs.”
Grewal had already been re-nominated by his party as a candidate in next year’s federal election.
There had also been speculation that Grewal’s resignation might have to do something with the Ethics Commissioner’s inquiry under the Conflict of Interest into Grewal’s invitation to Yusuf Yenilmez, who heads the Brampton construction company, Zgemi Inc. and who was paying Grewal for legal advice, to a reception that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended during his India visit last February.
The VOICE reported last May that in a letter to NDP MP Charlie Angus, the Ethics Commissioner said he decided to launch an inquiry into Grewal after he “carefully considered” written submissions from the Brampton East MP and other documents his office had gathered.
Angus told a newspaper that he still wants the Ethics Commissioner’s findings to be made public.
AYAZ Dhanani, 38, of Vancouver has been sentenced in Vancouver Provincial Court to a total of 36 months in jail for selling fraudulent investments and other securities-related crimes, the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) announced on Friday.
Dhanani also was ordered by the court to pay a total of $194,568 in restitution to five victims, and he will be on probation for a total of 36 months upon his release from prison. He was also ordered to provide a sample of his DNA.
Dhanani pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud over $5,000, and three offences under the BC Securities Act: disobeying a BCSC order against trading, failing to file a prospectus (a formal document that provides details of an investment) and misleading investors.
The charges followed a series of investigations by the BCSC’s Criminal Investigations Branch in relation to four of the victims.
Dhanani pleaded guilty in August to fraudulently soliciting a total of $153,800 in investments from three B.C. residents, and received a 23-month jail sentence for those offences in October.
He also pleaded guilty in October to another fraud over $5,000 in relation to a fourth B.C. resident, and to three Securities Act offences relating to his obtaining funds for an investment from a fifth B.C. resident. This week, he received a further 13 months in jail for those offences.
“Dhanani preyed upon people’s lack of knowledge about investments,” said Peter Brady, BCSC’s Executive Director. “He made promises about businesses or opportunities that simply did not exist.”
The BCSC previously sanctioned Dhanani for fraud under the Securities Act. In 2016, the commission ordered Dhanani to pay an administrative penalty of $225,000. It also permanently prohibited him from trading or purchasing securities or exchange contracts; becoming or acting as a director or officer of any issuer or registrant; becoming or acting as a registrant or promoter; acting in a management or consultative capacity in connection with activities in the securities market; and engaging in investor relations activities.
In 2017, the BCSC recovered $120,000 provided to Dhanani for investment, and distributed that to the three victims involved in the administrative proceeding.
THE voting period for the 2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform has been extended. Elections BC announced on Friday that it will now accept completed voting packages until 4:30 p.m. on December 7.
“We have worked closely with Canada Post to understand the full impact of rotating strikes on the referendum process,” said Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman. “Rotating strikes have impacted accessibility. As a result we have extended the deadline to ensure that voters are not prevented from participating through no fault of their own.”
Voters are encouraged to return their completed voting package as soon as possible to ensure it is received in time and to give Elections BC enough time to contact them if their returned package is missing required information.
The deadline to request a voting package remains midnight tonight (Friday, November 23). Eligible voters can request a package:
INVESTIGATORS from Ontario’s Peel Regional Police Central Robbery Unit are seeking witnesses regarding an attempted robbery at Ashok Jewellers in Mississauga.
On Wednesday, November 21 at 12:15 p.m. police responded to the attempted armed robbery at the store located at Airport Road and Beverley Street in the City of Mississauga. The four suspects attempted to gain entry to the store by breaking a window at which point the owner’s son and his employees were able to fend off the robbers, one of whom had a gun, by using swords.
The suspects then fled the area northbound on Airport Road in a dark coloured Dodge Durango.
CBC reported that Arjun Kumar, the son of the store’s owner, said that when he and the employees saw the robbers coming in, they rushed them with swords that were gifts from a friend of the family. He said that one of the men who had a handgun tried to fire, but the weapon jammed.
Kumar said: “I was willing to do anything to keep them out. Even if it meant me getting shot, not a problem.”
But police said they do not condone the use of swords by the employee and several people could have ended up being injured. The jewellery stores carry insurance.
The suspects are described as follows:
Suspect #1 – Male, 5’8-5’10, medium build wearing a blue jump suit with reflective safety decals, black toque, black shoes, black hoodie and a black backpack.
Suspect #2 – Male, 5’8-5’10, medium build wearing a blue jump suit with reflective safety decals, black toque, black shoes, black hoodie and black backpack.
Suspect #3 Male 5’9-5’11, black jacket with hood up, blue jeans, black shoes, white gloves, heavy build, armed with a black handgun.
Suspect #4 Slim build, black pants, white gloves, black winter jacket with fur lined hood and a black bag.
Investigators have released surveillance footage from the incident in hope of identifying the suspects responsible. To view the video visit Peel Regional Police’s YouTube channel.
Investigators are appealing for witnesses, dash-cam or surveillance video or anyone with information on this incident to contact investigators from the Central Robbery Bureau at (905) 453-2121, ext. 3410. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by visiting peelcrimestoppers.ca
Amanpreet Kaur, Indira Prahst and Prabhsharanbir Singh.
Amanpreet Kaur, Indira Prahst and Prabhsharanbir Singh.
AN event titled “Commemoration of and Resistance to Historic Atrocity: Sikhs and 1984” was organized this week at Langara College by Indira Prahst, in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology to commemorate the Sikh Genocide of 1984. This is not the first time that an event concerning Sikhs and atrocities has been organized at Langara.
In fact, in 2006 Langara hosted the official opening of the film “Amu” with the then-president of Langara, Linda Holms, present and the film producers and director, Shonali Bose, speaking about the film and the extent to which the film was censored, especially where verbal references to the Indian state violence were made. After watching the film at the time, students and educators were stunned, not knowing about the dark history of 1984.
In current geopolitical climates, atrocities worldwide continue to be of interest to people as they try to grapple with the ripple effects that manifest themselves on multifaceted levels. For this reason, three scholars – Prahst along with Prabhsharanbir Singh, University of British Columbia, and Amanpreet Kaur, University of Exeter, UK – presented their papers at the event to continue to educate and engage on the subject.
Prahst shared her work on commemoration and the survivor narratives of the1984 Sikh Genocide from the Widow Colony in Delhi. She presented harrowing accounts of violence and how in current geopolitical climates, the Indian state continues to employ subtle mechanisms to silence, eclipse and distort this violent history as it builds its nation. She cautioned how power is maintained through state discourses of 1984 and how they have become normalized, altering subjectivities with domesticating effects. Urging for more critical approaches to understanding 1984, she also cautioned against aestheticizing of suffering, arguing that it generalizes suffering.
Prabhsharanbir Singh said that India as a modern nation-state has combined two forms of violence: the very public spectacle of brutal mob violence in which police and other state apparatuses also participate, and the disciplinary violent modern institutions. For this reason, India has ruthlessly suppressed mass movements. He also talked about the psychic aspects of violence. The violence targeted at Sikhs can be better understood through the idea of soul-murder. In desecrating the Gurdwaras and Guru Granth Sahib, the Indian state has tried to rob something that is essential for the Sikh community: their respect for their Gurus and the sacred spaces. The trauma of such psychic violence is playing a decisive role in giving direction to Sikh politics. It also shapes the Sikh subjectivity.
Amanpreet Kaur shared memories from her trip to Punjab and how the violence of this history and its impact inspired her to learn more. She spoke about how Sikh identities have become diluted because of the challenges Sikh youth face with modernity and connecting to Sikhi as they try to find themselves in the chaos of the modern world. She highlighted the role of spirituality and Gurbani in understanding the resilience of people who endured unspeakable atrocities. She ended with a reminder that most critical signifiers of what a Sikh is connects to their history of oppression and resistance. “The resistance to not forget and to remember to maintain who we are,” she added.
The event was followed by an engaging question and answer session in which participants discussed issues such as contemporary Sikh politics, the role of the international community and media in failing to highlight this atrocity and how to penetrate state discourses. It was attended by scores of students and Langara faculty members.
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur
Photo by Indira Prahst
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Photo by Indira Prahst
New Delhi (IANS): The Union Cabinet on Thursday decided to develop a Kartarpur Corridor from Gurdaspur in Punjab to the international border to facilitate pilgrims’ passage to Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara in Pakistan as part of the 550th birth year celebrations of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, next year.
The government will also develop Sultanpur Lodhi in Punjab, the city associated with Guru Nanak’s early life, as a heritage town conforming to all principles of smart cities, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said a press conference after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at which the decisions were taken.
It will also run special trains to sacred places and gurudwaras associated with the Sikh Guru’s life, he said.
“The government will develop a Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, Punjab to the international border to facilitate pilgrims from India to visit the holy Gurudwara Darbaar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of Ravi river in Pakistan where Guru Nanak Devji spent 18 years,” he said.
The Minister said since many pilgrims visit the location on the international border from where the gurudwara in Kartarpur is visible, the government decided to set up the special corridor with all modern facilities at the border terminal including visa and customs facilities for those who are permitted to cross the border.
“Pilgrims would then be able to visit the holy shrine throughout the year,” a Home Ministry official said.
Meanwhile an External Affairs Ministry official said India has urged Pakistan to complete building the corridor on its side with suitable facilities.
“In keeping with the resolution adopted by the Cabinet today to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji in 2019, we have approached and urged the Pakistan government to recognise the sentiments of Sikh community and build a corridor with suitable facilities in their territory to facilitate easy and smooth visits of pilgrims from India to Kartarpur Sahib throughout the year,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to queries.
“Government of India has already decided to build the corridor from Dera Baba Nanak to the International Border with all modern amenities on our side,” Kumar said.
Kartarpur Sahib is the place where the holy gurdwara, built on the site where Guru Nanak died in 1539, is located.
Earlier in November, Pakistan issued over 3,800 visas to Sikh pilgrims for the ongoing celebrations of the 549th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
India and Pakistan share a bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines that was signed in 1974.
Jaitley further said at the Sultanpur Lodhi, a heritage complex would also be developed called “Pind Baba Nanak Da” to depict the life journey and teachings of the Sikh Guru.
“We have also decided to establish a Centre for Interfaith Studies in Amritsar and chairs in foreign universities including in the UK and Canada,” he said.
He added that all states, union territories and foreign missions of India will hold special events to commemorate the 550th birth year of the Sikh Guru.
“Coins and postal stamps will also be released. Doordarshan and All India Radio will telecast special programs and gurbani on life and teachings of Guru Nanak Devji. The National Book Trust will publish texts on his life in all Indian languages,” Jaitley said.
He added the government will also request Unesco to translate those texts in various world languages.
FRASER Health is using virtual technology to connect patients to specialized services both in the hospital and in the community.
Using video conferencing technology, the health authority is connecting cardiac patients at Surrey Memorial Hospital and Abbotsford Regional Hospital to electrophysiologists at Royal Columbian Hospital to diagnose and help treat irregular heartbeats or potentially life-threatening arrhythmias. Likewise, video conferencing is connecting mental health patients at Royal Columbian to community mental health teams before they are even discharged from hospital, ensuring better access immediately.
“We have seen how crucial easy and early access to health-care is for patients, particularly those in more rural or remote communities,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix. “By integrating the newest virtual technology into our health system, we’re ensuring patients can see specialists quickly and have an overall improved care experience.”
“I’m thrilled to see Fraser Health embracing this important service delivery option which will provide more streamlined access to the quality mental health services that patients need and deserve,” said Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “This new technology is already making a positive difference in the lives of people living in rural and remote areas of B.C. Now, tele-mental health will enable patients at Royal Columbian to connect directly to the ongoing support they will need after they leave the hospital and are back in the community.”
Typically, cardiac patients in hospital have to be transferred by ambulance – sometimes escorted by a registered nurse – to Royal Columbian Hospital for a quick 30-minute consultation with an electrophysiologist. The total time for this appointment can take upwards of six hours, and includes the effort to prepare a patient for transport, the transportation itself and the return trip. Instead, cardiac patients can now use video conferencing to have a virtual meeting with a specialist without having to travel, creating a better care experience for the patient and reducing the workload on staff.
“Technology is allowing us to bridge the geographic barriers of the past by connecting patients in one location with specialists in another. By integrating virtual health tools into our clinical operations, we can provide better access to care and a more seamless and timely experience,” said Dr. Stanley Tung, a cardiologist who specializes in cardiac electrophysiology. “Using this technology enables a smooth patient experience regardless of distance, location or time.”
Meanwhile, the psychiatry unit at Royal Columbian is leveraging the same technology to help admitted patients connect to services in the community before they are even discharged. This allows staff in community mental health and substance use offices in New Westminster and Tri-Cities to provide baseline assessments and attend discharge planning meetings.
“A patient that is being discharged from a hospital psychiatry unit may no longer require hospital care, but may remain vulnerable. It is often important to help them connect to services in the community that can support them upon their release,” said Dr. Anson Koo, program medical director of mental health and substance use at Fraser Health. “Care providers can make discharge follow-up plans, such as appointments, and discuss possible barriers to attendance during a virtual meeting. It provides a more consistent process for discharge – one that involves the community mental health providers earlier in the patient’s stay and facilitates communication between care providers.”
This project to assist admitted patients connect with mental health services in the community before they are discharged is considered a foundational piece of work within Fraser Health. Its concepts utilizing video conferencing are in the process of being expanded to other hospitals and community mental health centres in the region.
Fraser Health is also actively researching other virtual health options to find ways to improve patient care or solve clinical problems.
ON October 27, the manager of a restaurant in the 9200-block of 120th Street reported that a customer had cut a cultural canvas near the washroom in his business, causing an estimated $2,500 in damages.
