RIDGE Meadows RCMP announced on Wednesday they are investigating a four-vehicle collision that resulted in the death of a man and his dog.
On Tuesday (June 5) at around 7:30 p.m., police received multiple calls about an accident involving four cars on Golden Ears Way at 203rd Street. Ridge Meadows RCMP first responders, along with the Integrated Collison Analyses Reconstruction Service (ICARS), attended the scene.
Early indications are that speed may have been a contributing factor in the accident. Witnesses report a Toyota Tacoma truck was travelling eastbound at a high rate of speed when it crossed the center line colliding with another car. The driver of the Tacoma, a 38-year-old Pitt Meadows man, and his dog, died at scene as a result of injuries.
The drivers of two other vehicles were transported to hospital, one with serious injuries. The driver of a fourth vehicle suffered minor injuries which did not require hospitalization.
Roads were closed for approximately eight hours and reopened at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The investigation is in the early stages, police said.
THE Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced on Wednesday that it has identified two vehicles and two males believed to be associated to the murder of Gavinder Grewal.
On December 23, 2017, Grewal was found dead in his North Vancouver apartment with injuries consistent with homicide.
The killer or killers apparently managed to get into the building from the front door and then went up the stairwell as access to any floor requires a card. CTV showed the broken lock on the stairwell door and the broken door handle lying on the floor where the victim lived. Police had collected fingerprints from that area.
Tenants said that there had been a number of complaints about the apartment where the victim lived. There were loud bangs like that of a bowling ball being dropped late at night. But apparently no action was taken by anyone.
Grewal was known to police and associated to gang activity. Investigators believe Grewal’s murder was targeted and linked to other gang violence in the Lower Mainland.
On Wednesday, IHIT said it has gathered significant evidence and is looking to identify individuals involved in the murder. Surveillance footage has identified two vehicles that investigators believe are associated to the murder of Grewal.
The vehicles are (see actual surveillance footage photos and stock photos below):
Vehicle#1: 2003-2008 dark coloured Lexus RX350
Vehicle#2: 2016-2018 black Nissan Titan
Investigators have also obtained surveillance images of two persons of interest associated to the black Nissan Titan. They are described as:
Unknown male 1 – South Asian approximately 20 to 25 years old, wearing a black jacket and a white shirt.
Unknown male 2 – South Asian approximately 25 to 30 years old with a beard and wearing a toque and a dark jacket.
“We are asking the public’s help in identifying these two males or anyone associated to the Lexus RX350 or the Nissan Titan,” said IHIT Cpl. Frank Jang. “There are people who have information about what happened to Mr. Grewal. We urge anyone with information to please come forward and speak with IHIT so that we can hold those responsible to account.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551- IHIT (4448), or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
Should you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Vehicle#1: 2003-2008 dark coloured Lexus RX350 Actual surveillance footage / stock photoVehicle #2: 2016-2018 black Nissan Titan Actual surveillance footage / stock photo
GAvinder Grewal Photo: Abbotsford Police
BACK in March 2015, Abbotsford Police issued what they called “an important public safety notification” warning the public about three men it believed posed “a risk of significant harm” to the safety of the community and anyone who may associate with them. The three men were involved in an ongoing conflict and a criminal lifestyle that included violence, drugs, and weapons. Police released their photos in an unusual move.
“We believe it is in the public’s best interest that the identities of these men are known so people associating with or in close physical proximity to them understand their safety could be in danger,” said Sgt. Casey Vinet at the time. “Efforts to curtail growing tensions between these individuals are being made but we are very concerned that violence could occur in public settings.”
One of the three was Grewal, who police said had a criminal conviction for extortion and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. He was prohibited from possessing firearms.
IN June 2016, almost six years after the crime, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced that Gavinder Grewal, then 29, and Jason Himpfen, then 41, had been arrested and charged in the homicide of Mandy Johnson and the attempted murder of Gator Browne in Abbotsford.
Grewal was charged with manslaughter in relation to Johnson as well as the attempted murder of Browne. Himpfen was charged with second-degree murder in relation to Johnson and the attempted murder of Browne.
On July 28, 2010, shortly after 3 a.m., Johnson was shot and killed while sitting in the passenger seat of a Chevy Tahoe in the 31100-block of Polar Avenue in Abbotsford. Another victim, Browne, who was the boyfriend of Mandy at the time, was shot at but no bullets struck him and he managed to flee the scene.
In the initial stages of this investigation the threshold for homicide-related charges was not met. IHIT along with the Abbotsford Police Department worked together tenaciously to reach that threshold and six years later, succeeded in doing so.
IN response to recommendations from the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, and taking into consideration the findings of other inquiry and review processes across Canada, B.C. is developing new provincial policing standards to promote equality in the delivery of policing services throughout the province.
“Policing must be delivered free from bias and discrimination in every part of our province,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “We’re developing new policing standards and guiding principles to reinforce a more inclusive perception of fairness, and strengthen our efforts to promote bias-free policing in B.C. This is key to how our government continues to build a safer province.”
From March 12 to April 16 the Province sought the public’s input on new provincial policing standards to garner a deeper understanding of what types of issues are important to British Columbians, and to ensure police services are delivered in a manner that is fair, equitable and responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups.
More than 200 British Columbians, from a balanced and diverse demographic, participated in the online questionnaire, providing their concerns, recommendations and general support for the concept and themes proposed for the new B.C. Provincial Policing Standards. Written submissions were also received from interested organizations, and can be accessed online: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/unbiasedpolicing/submissions/
Leading up to the public engagement process, the Province met with stakeholders and community organizations to discuss issues related to unbiased policing, and conducted a comprehensive scan of related initiatives and materials from other jurisdictions. This work helped identify concepts that could be addressed in the new guiding principles and themes to promote unbiased policing in B.C.
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General will now use the feedback collected through the public and stakeholder engagement process to build on its initial analyses of existing policy and literature, to develop new policing standards and guiding principles that are meaningful, effective and represent a broad spectrum of input from British Columbians.
The new standards will also reflect ongoing consultations that are taking place with police agencies and community organizations.
A summary of the opinions shared in the public engagement can now be found in the Promoting Unbiased Policing in B.C. Public Engagement Process: What We Heard Report, which can be accessed online: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/unbiasedpolicing/
HARMINDER Bassi, 24, of Brampton was arrested on Wednesday by investigators from the Peel Regional Police Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau and charged with first degree murder in the death of Paviter Singh Bassi last March.
On March 19, at approximately 5:50 p.m., officers responded to reports of an assault taking place in the area of Sandalwood Parkway East and Cedarcliff Trail in the City of Brampton. Upon arrival, officers located the victim suffering from life-threatening injuries. Paviter Bassi was rushed to a Toronto Trauma Centre where he later succumbed to his injuries.
This is the fourth person to be charged in this case. Homicide investigators arrested and charged Karanvir Singh Bassi, 22, Guryodh Singh Khattra, 23, and Gurraj Bassi, 20, for first degree murder in the same case last March. There is no familial relationship between the victim and any of the accused parties.
Investigators are appealing for witnesses, dash-cam video, surveillance video, or anyone who may have information concerning this investigation to contact Peel Regional Police Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau at (905) 453-2121, ext. 3205. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting www.peelcrimestoppers.ca.
CHANGES are being proposed to development policies in Chinatown to help new development fit better with the historic and cultural character of the neighbourhood.
A staff report was presented to Council on Tuesday on upcoming Chinatown initiatives and proposed changes to development policies and zoning. The proposed development and zoning changes will be considered at a public hearing to be scheduled by Council.
Vancouver’s Chinatown is designated a National Historic Site of Canada, which recognizes it as a place of profound importance that reflects the rich heritage, diversity and history of our nation. The policy and zoning changes respond directly to issues over the form and pace of new development in Chinatown that the community has raised since the development policies were adopted in 2011.
Development policies and strategies would be revised through the following recommendations:
Tall and wide buildings will no longer be considered. The majority of concerns expressed by the community were related to buildings that, through the Rezoning Policy for Chinatown South (an area bound by Quebec, Pender, Gore and Union Street), were permitted to exceed 90 feet in height and be built on wide consolidated lots.
Buildings could be considered under the base zoning height of up to 75 feet on Pender Street and up to 90 feet in Chinatown South. The changes would also limit the maximum density and number of storeys.
New buildings would be smaller and built on narrow lots with smaller store fronts to better fit with Chinatown’s traditional character. Placing limits on the maximum size for site frontages would also help limit assembly of sites for development and land speculation.
In addition to these recommendations, the City is forming a dedicated Chinatown Transformation Team to work with the community on a number of key actions, including:
Preparation of a long-term plan to conserve Chinatown’s living culture and heritage
Supporting economic development towards a vibrant Chinatown
Dialogues and programming on anti-racism
Redesign of Memorial Square
Exploring the feasibility of a UNESCO world heritage site application
Advancing the Legacy Business Study to support traditional businesses
Rehabilitation of the heritage Chinese Societies buildings, and
Maximizing opportunities for seniors housing and amenities in and around Chinatown.
The City has been working with the Chinatown community to support revitalization in this important historic and cultural neighbourhood. The engagement process for these proposed changes began three years ago, and since then many potential policy options were explored to try and best meet the needs of this unique cultural heritage neighbourhood. City staff received significant input from members of the community and key stakeholders through a wide range of engagement opportunities, including open houses, public meetings, information sessions, stakeholder meetings, pop-up events, and surveys. The proposed policy changes were drafted by weighing the many different voices we heard with the technical, economic, cultural, and social analysis and City priorities.
These recommendations and upcoming initiatives will further help achieve a vibrant and prosperous Chinatown, and better manage future development to protect and enhance this important part of Vancouver, says the City.
PEEL Regional Police’s investigators from the 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau have charged Rahim Rashidi, 21, of MIssissauga in relation to a weapons offence that caused a lockdown at a Mississauga high school.
On Tuesday (June 5) at 9:56 a.m., Peel Regional Police received a call from administrators at T.L. Kennedy Secondary School in regards to a male within the premise that was possibly in possession of a weapon. School Resource Officers with the assistance of officers from the tactical, canine and uniform units attended to locate the individual.
All floors and rooms of T.L. Kennedy Secondary School were searched by officers. An adult male student was arrested and found to be in possession of a replica pellet gun. There were no injuries to students or staff of the school.
Rashidi was charged with weapons dangerous and mischief. He was released with a future court date in July.
Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact investigators at 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at 905-453-2121, ext. 1233. Anonymous information may also be submitted by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by visiting www.peelcrimestoppers.ca.
WEATHER-RELATED disasters can make people more religious but it depends on the toll they inflict, suggests new UBC research. If a disaster injures a significant number of people, it can strengthen religiosity among those who are already religious. But if a disaster inflicts mostly economic damage, the opposite effect applies.
“It’s generally assumed that disasters can intensify religious preferences or practices,” said study author Oscar Zapata, a postdoctoral researcher in UBC’s school of community and regional planning. “My analysis suggests that it depends on the frequency of disasters in that region and the specific impact of the disaster.”
Eighty-two per cent of survey respondents said they believe in God, with the majority reporting that they are either Roman Catholic, Protestant or Christian Orthodox. Using statistical analysis, Zapata found that among the believers of God, religiosity increased following disasters that injured a significant number of people; for every one per cent increase in the number of injured due to a climate disaster, attendance at religious services increased by close to four per cent.
Using data from an international survey conducted annually between 1995 and 2012, Zapata evaluated the responses of 12,333 Canadians to two questions: “Do you believe in God?” and “How often do you attend religious services?” He then compared their answers with records of natural disasters, like avalanches, wildfires or blizzards that occurred in Canada during the same time period.
Disasters with largely economic impact did not have the same effect. With every one per cent increase in the number of disaster events, belief in God among survey respondents dropped 26 per cent. And for every one per cent increase in the economic cost of a natural disaster, the probability of believing in God dropped two per cent.
“In other words, economic losses caused by natural disasters had much less impact on religious beliefs or practices compared to human losses,” said Zapata. “This might be because people can recover from financial losses and they can rebuild homes as long as they have emergency funds or insurance. It’s losing people they know that seems to drive people to religion to ease their pain or stress.”
He cautioned that the analysis is uniquely applicable to Canada, which has good infrastructure and strong insurance systems that lighten the financial burdens of disasters. “It would be interesting to compare the results with countries that experience more weather-related disasters or have weaker infrastructure and insurance markets.”
Future studies could also look at the specific channels through which climate-related disasters affect religious preferences, he added. “Do people become less religious as disasters and material losses increase in number because they have more scientific information that links these disasters to human-induced climate change? Or do climate disasters reaffirm religious people’s beliefs that disasters are acts of God and that God will protect them? We need to do more research to understand these mechanisms.”
THE rate of job vacancies maintained last quarter’s record high of three per cent, with about 407,000 private sector jobs remaining unfilled for at least four months, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)’s latest Help Wanted report.
The observed job vacancy rate – the proportion of unfilled jobs relative to all available jobs in the private sector – is still markedly up from the 2.6 per cent rate observed in the first quarter of 2017.
“We are still seeing a high number of job vacancies, though the strong rise observed through 2017 has leveled off,” said Ted Mallett, Vice President and Chief Economist at CFIB. “Small businesses are feeling the pressure of prolonged job vacancies, especially in British Columbia and Quebec, where the record high vacancy rates are still on the rise. Affected businesses are responding with wage increases, or adjustments to their product lines or capital spending in some cases.”
Results by province
British Columbia and Quebec’s already tight labour markets both experienced vacancy gains this quarter, bringing their rates to 3.8 and 3.7 respectively. Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan’s weaker labour markets led to moderate decreases in vacancy rates.
Job vacancies by industry
Rising vacancy rates in seven sectors were offset by steady or decreasing rates in six. Personal services experienced a large vacancy gain to 4.8 per cent. The vacancy rate in the construction sector also remained high at 3.6 per cent.
Labour shortages continued to exercise pressure on wages this quarter, with companies with unfilled positions expecting to offer an average wage increase 0.6 per cent higher than those with no vacancies.
For information on the overall results by province and industry, please consult the Q1 2018 Help Wanted report.
A 24-year-old male working close to a dump-truck at the construction site at a construction site near Handsworth Road and Timberline Place in North Vancouver was knocked down and crushed by the truck on Tuesday (June 5) at approximately 10:30 a.m. The Vancouver resident was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident is in the early stages of investigation, according to North Vancouver RCMP. Assisting with the investigation is North Vancouver RCMP Serious Crime Unit, ICARS (Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service), WorkSafeBC, and BC Coroners Service.
Andrew Wilkinson and Ellis Ross. Photos: John Lehmann
SHOWING support for Rio Tinto workers and their families, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson and local Skeena MLA Ellis Ross visited the plant in Kitimat on Monday, following the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel last week.
“Rio Tinto produced 433,000 tonnes of aluminum last year, supporting locals and contributing $244 million to British Columbia’s economy. Those jobs and livelihoods, as well as the economic contributions, are now under threat from illegal tariffs imposed by [US] President [Donald] Trump,” pointed out Wilkinson.
In April, Trump ordered the Department of Commerce to investigate steel and aluminum imports under a little known part of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 that allows the president to place import restrictions for reasons of ‘national security’.
“Following one of the largest private sector investments by Rio Tinto in B.C. history, the Kitimat smelter produces aluminum with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world,” said Wilkinson. “How anyone in the United States could consider that a threat to national security is beyond reason.”
“Canada — and this plant in particular — has demonstrated that we are a reliable and secure supplier of aluminum to the United States, and have been for more than 60 years,” said Ross. “Our product is used to manufacture everything in the U.S. from car parts to advanced military applications.”
Wilkinson added, “It’s vital that Canada demonstrate a united front and that’s why I am here to show my support for the thousand workers located in both Kitimat and Terrace.”
