Sgt. Kevin Jeffery, Benisha Aujla, Bnita Nagra, Karen Kang and Cpl. Samara Bilmer. Photo: RCMP
CHILLIWACK RCMP and friends urged students to speak out – and reach out – and end intimate partner violence among teens at a recent presentation to the student assembly of Sardis Secondary School.
“Our goal is to stop relationship violence,” said Cpl. Samara Bilmer of the Chilliwack RCMP Serious Crime Unit (SCU). “Through education, we bring awareness to the subject with a means to recognize warning signs and prevent this type of violence. We want youth to know that intimate partner violence is never acceptable and there are people who care and can support them in leaving an abusive relationship.”
The lecture offered by Chilliwack RCMP and Lower Mainland Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) officers featured a documentary by filmmaker Jasleen Kaur telling the story of 19-year-old Maple Batalia who was murdered in 2011 by her ex-boyfriend.
Maple Batalia
“There were so many red flags, signs that we missed,” said Benisha Aujla, one of Maple’s three best friends who addressed the audience. “Do not remain silent if you suspect a friend or loved one is a victim in an abusive relationship.”
Tell-tale signs a friend or loved one may be the victim of intimate partner violence include:
· Stalking, jealous, obsessive or controlling behaviours by their partner.
· Partner threatens to harm or kill themselves or others.
· Victim is fearful of their partner.
· Victim is isolated from friends and family.
“If you or someone you know is suffering from a violent relationship we encourage you to reach out and report it to your local police agency,” said Bilmer.
THE Vancouver Art Gallery is celebrating a major milestone toward the realization of a transformational new building with the announcement of a $40 million lead gift from the Chan family. This brings the Gallery’s capital campaign to $85 million in private sector funding toward the new purpose-built facility. In recognition of this extraordinary gift, the Vancouver Art Gallery’s new building will be named Chan Centre for the Visual Arts.
“This is a historic time for the Vancouver Art Gallery in its 88th year. We are all inspired by the Chan family’s extraordinary generosity, and their philanthropic passion for enriching our community,” said Kathleen S. Bartels, Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery. “With this unprecedented gift to the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Chans are demonstrating a profound investment in the future of this city and country, and one that will impact many generations to come.“
“We are also extremely grateful for the incredible generosity of the Board of Trustees and the many significant donors from across the community for helping us reach this milestone as we continue to work towards the new Vancouver Art Gallery Building,” added Bartels.
“The Vancouver Art Gallery’s new building project fits perfectly into our family’s philosophy, mandate, and charitable mission, which is to create equal opportunity for everyone to enjoy and nurture a healthy body, mind and soul,” said Christian Chan, Gallery Trustee and speaking on behalf of his family. “We truly believe in the power of art to bring people together and to bridge divides, cultural gaps, to promote social understanding, and to help people better understand themselves and others, and that is what the new Vancouver Art Gallery building will help accomplish.”
Along with the Chan Family’s lead gift to name the new building, the Vancouver Art Gallery is also celebrating $45 million in other private sector support that has been made over the last several years, including significant contributions driven by the Gallery’s Board of Trustees. In particular, the generosity of 14 individuals, families, foundations, and corporate supporters, who have contributed $1 million or more each demonstrating a wide range of support for this important project and a recognition of the incredible benefits it will bring to the entire community including tourism and as a significant economic driver.
The Vancouver Art Gallery unveiled the final designs for its 300,000-square-foot building by world-renowned, Swiss-based architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron.
Designed to serve the Gallery’s expanding collection and to present outstanding art and educational programs for its expanding audiences, the new Vancouver Art Gallery will provide a global platform for Vancouver’s and Canada’s thriving arts scene and play a vital role in establishing this city as one of the world’s foremost cities for arts and culture. Situated at Larwill Park, unifying the crossroads of Downtown, Yaletown, Gastown, east Vancouver and Chinatown, the new Gallery will fuel a hub of creative and cultural activity for local members, the public and international visitors of all ages.
“The project for the new Vancouver Art Gallery has a civic dimension that can contribute to the life and identity of the city, in which many artists of international reputation live and work. The building now combines two materials, wood and glass, both inseparable from the history and making of the city. We developed a façade out of glass logs which is pure, soft, light, establishing a unique relation to covered wooden terraces all around the building,” said Christine Binswanger, Partner in Charge, Herzog & de Meuron.
Herzog & de Meuron have designed the Vancouver Art Gallery’s new museum as a sculptural, symmetrical, upright building combining opaque and transparent surfaces, with larger volumes concentrated at the top and minimal mass at the bottom. By lifting the bulk of the structure high above the street, the design allows light and air to filter down to an active, open-air courtyard below.
“The new Vancouver Art Gallery is a vertical building, distinctly spectacular at first sight, with an arrangement that resonates with the place where it is built. It offers ample outdoor spaces that are sunny in summer and protected from rain in winter, to suit the climate and life in British Columbia. Visitors to the building will be able to perceive Vancouver’s urbanity and its amazing natural setting in many different ways”, described Herzog & de Meuron.
THE Plecas Report reveals a number of previously unknown connections between Clerk Craig James and senior BC Liberal MLAs and party operatives, says the NDP.
In the period examined, James took trips for 39 meetings. Of those, at least 24 were with people associated with the BC Liberal Party, including:
Three meetings with Christy Clark after she left office.
Meetings with Mike de Jong and Steve Thomson.
A meeting at “Liberal Vancouver Offices” on January 31, 2018, three days before the Liberal leadership vote. James did not disclose who he met with.
A meeting with lawyers Geoff Plant and Paul Barbeau on June 20. Barbeau is the current BC Liberal President who at the time was Wilkinson’s representative on the executive of the BC Liberal Party.
This information raises a number of serious questions for Andrew Wilkinson:
Is it appropriate for his representative on the BC Liberal Executive to be acting as legal counsel to the supposedly non-partisan clerk?
Have Wilkinson and Barbeau discussed any business regarding Craig James or the operation of the Legislature?
Who did James meet with at the Liberal Vancouver offices on January 31, 2018?
Why were senior BC Liberals meeting so regularly with Craig James?
For several weeks, Andrew Wilkinson and his MLAs attempted to discredit Darryl Plecas prior to the release of his report:
“There’s a grave concern that the speaker is out of control. We need to be concerned that he’s building his own little empire, staffed with expensive lawyers, with investigators with no credentials and he’s being allowed to get away with it.” – Andrew Wilkinson, Times Colonist, Nov 26
“We have a real problem if we have the Speaker off in his own realm because the Speaker is nothing more than the referee in this chamber. And if he thinks he’s going to run a parallel government with an investigative arm and a legal arm, we have to stop that behaviour.” – Andrew Wilkinson, Times Colonist, Nov 26
BACK in the fall of 2018, officers from the Surrey RCMP’s Community Response Unit (CRU) began an investigation into complaints of alleged vehicle fraud. Investigators suspected person’s identities from around the Lower Mainland were being stolen or compromised for the purpose of purchasing, registering and re-selling high-end vehicles.
During the investigation four vehicles were seized, including a 2018 GMC Denali SUV, 2015 Audi Q5 SUV, 2013 Chrysler 300 sedan, and a 2011 Dodge Ram pick-up truck. The vehicles, with a total estimated value of $225,000, were allegedly obtained through fraudulent means.
On January 18, CRU, with assistance from the Lower Mainland District Emergency Response Team, executed a search warrant on a property and residence in the 8300-block of 135A Street to further their investigation which now included alleged identity fraud.
Officers seized police-type body armour, a sawed-off rifle, two handguns, three imitation handguns, ammunition, numerous edged weapons, and an assortment of suspected stolen identity documents and mail.
Seven individuals were located inside the residence at the time of the search and subsequently detained. The individuals have since been released from custody as the investigation continues.
“Individuals associated with identity theft and fraud will stop at nothing to get what they want including expensive vehicles,” said Inspector Wendy Mehat, Community Support and Safety Officer. “Victims of these crimes can experience financial loss and difficulty obtaining credit or restoring their ’good name’. Remember to periodically check your credit reports, bank and credit card statements, and report any irregularities promptly to the relevant financial institution and to the credit bureaus.”
Anyone with information about this occurrence who has not already spoken with police, is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.
Daljit Gill, wife of Charan Pal Gill, passed away at the age of 86.
The funeral takes place on Thursday, January 31 at 1 p.m. at the Riverside Funeral Home. Bhog ceremony will follow at the Nanaksar Sikh Temple, New Westminister, at 3 p.m.
For further information, call Charan Gill at 604-834-4088 (cell) or 604-881-1313 (home).
ON December 1, 2018, just before 1:30 a.m. Richmond RCMP responded to a business in the 8800-block of River Road for reports of a suspicious occurrence. A 31-year-old woman was departing from the nearby SkyTrain station and proceeded to the River Rock Casino in order to use the restroom. A male suspect allegedly followed her and proceeded to photograph with a smartphone while she was occupying one of the stalls. The suspect fled when confronted and was last seen heading towards the Bridgeport Station Canada Line.
The suspect is described as:
Male, possibly of First Nation’s decent
Approximately 25 years of age
170 cm (5’ 8”) tall
Slim build
Wearing black jacket and dark coloured pants
“The Richmond RCMP have exhausted all of our available leads in this case. We are hoping that the security image of the suspect may prompt information from the public and possibly bring to light other unreported cases,” said Cpl. Dennis Hwang on Thursday.
Anyone with information that can assist us is asked to contact Constable A. Giang at 604-278-1212. Quote file# 2018-34811.
The accused in Piunjab Police custody. Photo courtesy: babushahi.com
SLAIN Maple Ridge woman Jaswinder (Jassi) Kaur Sidhu’s mother Malkit Kaur Sidhu and uncle Surjit Singh Badesha have been extradited to India to face charges in connection to her murder in the state of Punjab and are now in the custody of Punjab Police.
Indian media reported on Wednesday (Thursday in India) that Senior Superintendent of Police of Punjab’s Sangrur district had confirmed that the accused were handed over to the Punjab Police team at Delhi Airport early Thursday morning (Indian time).
On June 8, 2000, Jassi Sidhu, 25, was brutally murdered in Punjab. Her husband Sukwinder (Mithu) Singh Sidhu, a poor rickshaw driver, was also seriously injured in the attack carried out by contract killers who were allegedly hired by his wife’s mother and uncle who were opposed to their marriage.
Sukwinder (Mithu) Singh Sidhu and Jaswinder Kaur (Jassi) Sidhu.
A Punjab Police team that had come to Canada to take custody of the two accused in September 2017 were stopped at the last minute at Toronto airport and had to return to India empty-handed.
The Indian newspaper Tribune reports that her husband Mithu Sidhu said: “At last they will face trial. I have been dreaming of the day when I will get a chance to confront Jassi’s mother on her killing.”
Photo courtesy The Tribune
Swarn Singh Khanna, who had conducted the probe and is now Superintendent of Police (Investigations), Bathinda, said: “Circumstantial evidence is very strong against the two. It includes their call details with other seven accused, affidavit of Jassi who feared for her and her husband’s life and statements of 19 witnesses. Our team had worked very hard on this case.”
On Friday morning (Thursday night in Canada) the two accused were produced before Malerkotla court in Sangrur district and both were sent to police custody for four days.
Last month, the B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed the applications of Malkit Sidhu and Surjit Badesha for a judicial review of Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould’s September 28, 2017 order for their extradition. The two were seeking a stay of extradition proceedings for abuse of process due to their attempted surrender to India without an opportunity to seek a judicial review of the minister’s decisions on whether to accept their new submissions. They were also seeking a judicial review of the minister’s decisions.
Malkit Kaur Sidhu and Surjit Singh Badesha. Photos courtesy of CBC
The court said that although the minister’s conduct amounted to an abuse of process, it did not warrant a stay of proceedings in the circumstances of this case and that the minister acted reasonably in refusing to accept the applicants’ submissions.
The two had until January 10 to file an appeal with the Supreme Court of Canada but they didn’t do so.
Detailed Background: The Crime
(From the court ruling)
On June 8, 2000, Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu and her husband, Sukhwinder Singh Sidhu, were travelling by scooter in the Punjab region in India when they were attacked by a group of armed men. Sukhwinder was seriously injured in the assault. The assailants forced Jaswinder into a car and drove away. The next day, Jaswinder’s body was discovered on the bank of a canal in a village close to where the attack had taken place. Her throat had been cut.
Almost a year earlier, the couple had married in India without the knowledge of Jaswinder’s family. Jaswinder’s family was from a high socio-economic class. Her husband was from a low socio-economic class: he was a rickshaw driver from a poor family. It is alleged by the Indian government that Mr. Badesha and Ms. Sidhu strongly opposed the marriage of Jaswinder and Sukhwinder, took steps to try to end it, and when those efforts failed, arranged for a number of persons in India to attack and kill the couple.
Thirteen people, including Mr. Badesha and Ms. Sidhu, were charged in India in connection with the killing of Jaswinder and the attack on Sukhwinder. Eleven of those charged were tried together in India. Seven were convicted and four were acquitted of offences arising out of the attack, including murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. Four of the seven who were convicted were later acquitted on appeal. Mr. Badesha and Ms. Sidhu are the only accused persons who remain to be tried in this matter.
By a diplomatic note, India sought their extradition for the offence of conspiracy to commit murder under the Indian Penal Code: the Extradition Treaty between the Government of Canada and the Government of India, Can. T.S. 1987 No. 14. The Minister of Justice issued an Authority to Proceed, authorizing extradition proceedings against Mr. Badesha and Ms. Sidhu on the corresponding Canadian offences of conspiracy to commit murder, attempt to commit murder and murder.
The extradition judge found that there was a substantial body of circumstantial evidence implicating Mr. Badesha and Ms. Sidhu in the alleged crime, including evidence that: they viewed the marriage between Jaswinder and Sukhwinder as bringing dishonour to their family; they issued death threats to Jaswinder and Sukhwinder; and phone calls were placed from Mr. Badesha’s home phone in British Columbia to some of the Indian perpetrators around the time the couple was attacked. The extradition judge concluded that on this evidence, a reasonable jury, properly instructed, could find that Mr. Badesha and Ms. Sidhu hired the Indian perpetrators to kill Jaswinder. Accordingly, he committed Mr. Badesha and Ms. Sidhu on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder.)
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our kind and devoted husband, father and grandfather.
Born in Lyallpur, Pakistan, grew up in Village Bajuha Khurd, District Jalandhar. In 1970, he immigrated to Canada and settled in Williams Lake for many years before moving to Abbotsford.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 26 at 10 a.m. at Fraser River Funeral Home, 2061 Riverside Road, Abbotsford.
Prayer services to follow at Kalgidhar Gurdwara, 30640 Blueridge Drive, Abbotsford.
For more information, contact Dhaliwal residence at 604-855-4219.
SURREY RCMP’s newest member is already having an impact on the community she serves.
While she possesses many of the same attributes as her co-workers, she does have a few distinctly unique characteristics including four paws, a wagging tail, and a powerful sense of smell.
“Cambria” is a two-and-half-year-old female Labrador / Golden retriever cross who started working in Surrey in October on “C” Watch with the Surrey RCMP’s Victims Services Unit.
Cambria is an Accredited Facility Dog, a type of assistance dog bred and raised to be soothing for victims and witnesses of crime and trauma. Her primary role is to support clients when they are providing statements, attend critical incident debriefs, perform check-ins with clients, serve as a testimonial aid in court, and support people while they are completing victim impact statements.
Cambria began her training in the Calgary chapter of Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) before returning to the charity’s main campus in Burnaby in mid-September. From there she was matched with her handler and Victim Services caseworker at Surrey detachment.
“We are excited that Cambria has joined our team to assist our caseworkers in providing emotional support to victims in our community,” says Brian Aasebo, Surrey RCMP Intervention Programs Manager. “She adds another layer of care and support to our service delivery and helps build a rapport between police and victims. In the short three months she has been with us, we have already seen the positive impact she has on our clients.”
“The introduction of an Accredited Facility Dog to our Victims Services Unit is a tremendous asset,” says Surrey RCMP Community Services Officer Superintendent Shawn Gill. “The calming and cathartic effect these specially trained dogs have on victims of serious crimes, collisions, and family situations also assists our officers in advancing these investigations.”
“Cambria demonstrated from an early age the ability to seek out those that are in distress or needing support, her exceptional training ensures that she is prepared to work calmly and effectively with community members that need her support, in a wide variety of settings,” says Laura Watamanuk, PADS Executive Director.
Cambria has already been deployed to a number of incidents requiring her support including a community debrief to support the residents of a housing complex who witnessed a fatal hit-and-run collision, a neighbourhood outreach event after a homicide investigation, and pre-trial meetings with a victim of sexual assault. Cambria also supports detachment officers and staff by attending critical incident debriefs after particularly difficult files.
When she isn’t working, Cambria likes to relax with her adopted human family along with her dog friend Sophie and cat friend Tiki. She also enjoys long walks, sunbathing, pats, and sleeping and eating.
Since 1983, Surrey RCMP Victim Services Unit has been supporting victims and witnesses of crime and traumatic events in Surrey. This team of municipal support staff is available seven days a week to attend crime scenes at the request of attending police officers. They assist in a wide range of files and make up one of the largest police agency victim services units in the province.
For more information on the Victim Services Unit, visit Surrey RCMP’s website.
SHORTLY before 11:30 a.m. on January 23, Richmond RCMP officers responded to a residence in the 8000-block of No. 2 Road for a domestic disturbance with a possible weapon. Officers from “Charlie” Watch and the Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Services (IPDS) secured the area.
The neighbouring Blundell Elementary School was placed in a hold-and-secure state, as a precautionary measure with officers from the Youth Squad on site.
After a tense hour long standoff, the suspect, a 29-year old male, surrendered to police and was arrested. A baby was recovered unharmed inside the residence by officers.
A small police presence remains in the area as the investigation continues. The results of the initial investigation will be submitted to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.
“The safety of our community and our officers is always of paramount concern in situations such as this. Although we prepare for the worst, we are very pleased to report that no one was injured,” said Cpl. Dennis Hwang.
“I am humbled seeing my fellow officers operate with such poise under pressure and I am proud to work alongside them at Richmond Detachment,” he added.
