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Vancouver: John Coupar seeking NPA’s mayoral candidacy

John Coupar
Photo submitted

STANDING in front of the iconic Vancouver landmark he saved for generations to come, Vancouver Park Board Commissioner John Coupar on Wednesday announced his intention to seek his party’s candidacy for mayor in the October 2018 municipal election.
“This is a very special place for me,” said Coupar. “The Bloedel Conservatory right behind us at the pinnacle and geographical centre of Vancouver, was a big part of my father’s life – and it’s become such a significant part of mine too. Saving this landmark is something I’m incredibly proud of, and I want to bring that same passion and purpose to City Hall to ensure the future of a healthy, vibrant and financially successful city with a responsible, thoughtful and inclusive approach to the issues our city is facing today.”
Coupar was elected in 2011 as a Vancouver Park Board Commissioner for the NPA, and is now a two-term Commissioner and former Park Board Chair.
John is a lifelong Vancouverite and has spent his career in senior management positions in a number of Canadian companies. He is currently the President of Novex Delivery Solutions, an award-winning carbon-neutral delivery service.
Coupar has been instrumental in a number of important initiatives that have added to the vibrancy and liveability of the city for all residents and communities. As well as the preservation of the Bloedel, he was a key proponent of the creation of the Park Foundation, he worked to secure an upgrade to the Vanier Park docks, he helped ensure a new paddling centre was built in False Creek, and he also spearheaded the construction of a new kitchen at the Killarney Seniors Centre.
Coupar is now building his team and his platform, but a key part of the process right now is to secure NPA sign-ups before the end of April, so they can vote in the nomination process on May 29.
For more information on John Coupar, visit: www.johncoupar.com

OBITUARY: JAGIR KAUR GREWAL

It is with deep sadness we inform all friends and relatives that Jagir Kaur Grewal, wife of the late Hardial Singh Grewal of Lalton Khurd village, Ludhiana district, Punjab, passed away peacefully on March 18.

Her funeral will be held on Saturday, March 24 at 12:30 p.m. at The Five River Funeral Home in Delta. After the funeral, the bhog ceremony will be held at Nanaksar Gurdwara Sahib in Richmond.

Grewal was the mother-in-law of Raj Chouhan, MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds.
For more information, please call 604-454-9505 or 604-544-5960.

Second suspect in assault on autistic man is Parmvir Chahil, say Ontario police

Parmvir ‘Parm’ Singh Chahil

PEEL Regional Police’s investigators from the 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau have identified a second male responsible for a vicious assault on a male with autism in Mississauga on March 13.

He is Parmvir ‘Parm’ Singh Chahil, 21, of no fixed address.

Incidentally, the Abbotsford, B.C. house of a man with the same name was targeted in September 2015. His neighbour, Ping Shun Ao, 75, was killed in his driveway in the 3500-block of Promontory Court in that shooting. Chahil’s house was hit by several shots. At the time, Chahil was facing charges of uttering threats and possessing a weapon for dangerous purposes.

The third male involved in this incident has not yet been positively identified, but may go by the first name of Jason.

On March 13, at approximately 10:45 p.m., police responded to a violent assault that occurred in the Square One bus terminal located at 200 Rathburn Road West in Mississauga.

Ronjot Singh Dhami
Photo: Peel Regional Police

Investigators on Tuesday night identified the first suspect as, Ronjot Singh Dhami, 25, of no fixed address. His last known address was in Surrey, B.C.

Read:

www.voiceonline.com/identify-assault-autistic/

A Canada-wide arrest warrant for Chahil and Dhami has been issued and they are both wanted for one count of aggravated assault.

Police said they are encouraged to call a lawyer and surrender to them.

Anyone who sees Chahil, or the other wanted male, Dhami, is asked to call police immediately. Police warned people not to approach them as they are extremely dangerous.

To view the video with the suspects, click here.

Investigators are appealing for witnesses, or anyone who may have information concerning this investigation to contact 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at (905) 453-2121 Ext 1233. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting www.peelpolice.ca.

Innocent South Asian woman, Ruma Amar, is Toronto’s 14th homicide victim of the year

Toronto Police Service Homicide twitter

AN innocent bystander, Ruma Amar, 29, became Toronto’s 14th homicide victim of 2018 last Saturday (March 17) just after 10 p.m. as a killer gunned down Thanh Tien Ngo, 32, who was allegedly a member of Chin Pac, a rival gang to the Asian Assassinz.

Police are looking for three men. The getaway driver and two men, armed with handguns, fled in a dark vehicle.

Homicide Det. Rob Choe told the media that Ngo was the target and Amara was standing near him when the killer started firing. Ngo and Amar did not know each other.

Ruma Amar

Ruma, her husband Amandeep Luthra, and her younger sister Reema were heading for a restaurant from a bowling alley, Playtime Bowl & Entertainment in a Dufferin and Lawrence plaza, when the killer opened fire at Ngo, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Ruma succumbed to her injuries in hospital.

Reema told the Toronto Star that she saw a masked man holding a gun. Amandeep and Reema later learned at the hospital that a bullet had hit the back of her head.

Ruma and Amandeep had met at a call centre two years ago. They dated for a year before tying the knot. The two were working together at a CIBC branch.

According to the Toronto Star, Ngo was known to police. In 2010, he was convicted of two trafficking charges, one count of possession of stolen property over $5,000, and failure to comply with a probation order. His father, Ngoc Ngo, was shot dead in an execution style after he answered the door at his property in March 2014.

 

 

 

Sex workers need workplace regulations to improve safety: UBC study

CANADA’S sex workers, many of whom work indoors, are enterprising and vigilant when it comes to protecting themselves against exploitation, assault or robbery. They set a relaxing atmosphere, insist on a no-drugs rule, keep self-defence tools at the ready and maintain good relationships with landlords in order to avoid eviction.

These are some of the key findings of a new University of British Columbia study of violence against indoor sex workers. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, included in-depth interviews with 85 indoor sex workers conducted between 2014 and 2016. Fifty-one per cent of the participants were women, 40 per cent were men, and the rest were transgender individuals.

“Earlier research showed that some indoor sex workers experience high levels of violence—they have as much as a 55 per cent chance of experiencing some type of violence in any given year,” said lead researcher and UBC nursing professor Vicky Bungay. “In this study, we wanted to find out what factors put them at risk and the strategies they use to address that risk.”

Workers all had strategies to hide, improvise or use self-defence tools to deal with potential assaults, said Bungay. Having other people around including roommates and neighbours was a tried and tested tactic. Workers also made efforts to talk with clients when they first arrived, to both assess them and put them at ease.

To protect their privacy and avoid being outed, workers conduct most communications via email and hide their belongings when clients are around.

“Most workers refuse to see clients who use cocaine or alcohol to avoid potential violence or arguments. To prevent nonpayment, they require payment up front or put the money away as soon as possible,” added Bungay, who’s also the Canada Research Chair in Gender, Equity and Community Engagement at UBC.

Bungay said the study showed that workers are highly creative in reducing or reacting to violence in their profession, but their efforts are limited by the stigma around sex work and the lack of legal and public health protections for sex workers.

“Sex workers being pressured to forgo condom use, or having to deal with clients’ substance use because they can’t rely on authorities to enforce a safe workspace—this highlights the need for clear-cut laws and policies that recognize their work and protect them from violence,” said Bungay. “It’s time to reexamine how Canada protects these individuals while also honouring the fact that they are not victims but are active agents of their own lives.”

South Asian brothers from Canada accused of operating unlicensed money service business, money laundering

WASHINGTON: Two Canadian brothers – Firoz Patel, 43, and Ferhan Patel, 37, who live in the area of Montreal, Québec – have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on charges alleging they operated an Internet-based unlicensed money service business that processed more than $250 million in transactions.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C.

The indictment was returned earlier this month and unsealed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The two brothers are charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and to violate anti-money laundering program requirements, one count of a money laundering conspiracy and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business in the District of Columbia. If convicted, each of the brothers faces a maximum sentence of more than 25 years.

MH Pillars, Ltd., doing business as Payza, is charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Ferhan Patel was arrested on March 18 in Detroit. He made his first appearance on March 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He remains held pending further proceedings in the District of Columbia. His brother remains at large.

“The arrest and indictments in this case demonstrate that we will vigorously enforce laws meant to protect the American consumer,” said Liu. “Money transmitting businesses are required to be registered federally and licensed in most states and jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia. Consumers should beware of those that do not follow these laws because they could be acting as a cover for other illegal activity.”

“I am proud of the skilled and professional teams of investigators and attorneys involved in today’s indictment and commend their efforts,” said Lechleitner. “Through this type of routine interagency cooperation we ensure our safe, reliable and just society.”

The indictment alleges that the criminal activity took place from in or about March 2012 until the present. The defendants, through Payza.com, are accused of operating a money transmitting business that operated without the necessary state licenses and knowingly transmitting funds that were derived from illegal activity. Despite receiving cease and desist letters from various states, and being told by a consultant that operating a money transmission business without the necessary licenses was a crime, Firoz and Ferhan Patel continued their illegal activity, the indictment alleges.

The indictment alleges that the Patels, together with other co-conspirators, are responsible for transmitting over $250 million throughout the United States and elsewhere. The investigation is continuing.

According to the indictment, Payza’s customers included Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes and a child pornography site. The Patels opened bank accounts in the United States and laundered their illegal proceeds through those accounts.

The indictment also seeks forfeiture of any property involved in these offenses or traceable to these offenses. In addition, the indictment seeks the specific forfeiture of approximately $10 million that has already been seized and frozen.

Further information is available to the public at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/victim-witness-assistance/obopay-payza.

Karanvir Bassi charged with first-degree murder in beating death of Paviter Bassi in Brampton

Victim: Paviter Singh Bassi

PEEL Regional Police announced on Wednesday that they have arrested and charged Karanvir Singh Bassi, 22, of  Brampton for first degree murder in the death of Paviter Singh Bassi, 21, also of Brampton. The two are not related.

On Monday (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. The victim was rushed to a Toronto area trauma centre.

(Ontario media reports said two men were beating another man with sticks and the victim suffered life-threatening head injuries.)

As a result of the assault, Paviter Bassi, 21, of Brampton,succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday (March 20) at the hospital.

This is the eighth homicide of 2018 in Peel Region.

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.peelpolice.ca.

Peel Regional Police arrest two youths following hate-motivated incident

PEEL Regional Police’s investigators from the 11 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau have arrested and charged two youths following a hate-motivated incident in the City of Mississauga.

On February 24, at approximately 3:10 a.m., two suspects attended the area of Iona Secondary School located at 2170 South Sheridan Way in Mississauga. The two suspects proceeded to spray paint derogatory and offensive phrases on a sidewalk that leads up to the school property.

School resource officers were made aware of the incident and commenced an investigation. As a result of the investigation and with the assistance of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, two 17-year-old males, both of Mississauga, were arrested and charged with mischief under $5,000 on March 16. Both males were released with a future court date in April.

The names of the two males cannot be released because a general provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Y.C.J.A.) prohibits the release of the name of a young person.

School resource officers worked diligently on this investigation and relied upon relationships that have been established within the school community to help bring it to a successful conclusion, police noted.

Police want to remind members of the public on the importance of immediately reporting graffiti so steps can be taken to have it removed and police can conduct timely investigations.

Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call investigators at the 11 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at (905) 453–2121, ext. 1133. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting  www.peelpolice.ca.

BC Premier John Horgan rocks!

ON Monday, a new Mainstreet Research poll found that B.C. Premier John Horgan and the BC NDP maintain a lead of slightly more than five points over the BC Liberals. Horgan maintains roughly the same lead over the Liberals as he had in January, according to Quito Maggi, President and CEO of Mainstreet Research.

On Wednesday, Horgan got another boost when this quarter’s analysis of polling data from the Angus Reid Institute showed that Horgan and newly-sworn premier Scott Moe of Saskatchewan enjoy the highest job performance approval ratings in their provinces among all premiers in Canada at 52 per cent. For Horgan that is a three-per-cent increase since the last quarter.

The Angus Reid Institute noted: “Horgan, in office since July 2017, has spent the last few months embroiled in inter-provincial trade conflict with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley stemming from a dispute over pipelines.”

It added: “But the battle between western neighbours appears to have done no harm to either provincial leader: Horgan received a three-point bump in approval, tying him with Moe (52%) for the distinction of Canada’s most popular premier, Notley’s approval remains statistically unchanged, with the approval of one-in-three Albertans (33%).”

 

ONTARIO

For Ontario, the Angus Reid Institute noted: “It’s crunch time in Ontario with a June election date looming over Liberal leader and Premier Kathleen Wynne. With just under three months to go the picture looks bleak for the incumbent. While approval is no substitute for vote intention, it can be a harbinger of things to come. Despite some policy wins with voters on the minimum wage and electricity rates cuts, among others, Wynne still hasn’t been able to soften potential voters. Just one-in-five Ontario residents (19%) say they approve of her performance.

“Regardless of the chaos and confusion that was the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario’s leadership race, polls show new PCPO leader Doug Ford with a healthy advantage over Wynne in vote intention.”

 

FOR MORE:

 

Premiers’ Performance: Moe and Horgan claim highest approval, Wynne’s worries continue

 

 

 

BC Emergency Alerting System test: Wednesday (March 21) at 1:55 p.m.

ON Wednesday, March 21 at 1:55 p.m., Emergency Management BC will conduct a test of the BC Emergency Alerting System.
This is part of a Canada-wide system – Alert Ready – that allows government officials to issue public safety alerts through major television and radio broadcasters. This system will only be used during large-scale disasters or emergencies where loss of life is imminent and possible.

Wireless alerts will NOT be tested at this time. Testing of wireless alerts will begin in May 2018. Learn more about wireless public alerts in BC and Alert Ready.