De Jong says LNG Income Tax ensures fair returns for British Columbians, but NDP lashes out at government

21 October 2014

A comprehensive and competitive income tax applicable to the LNG industry gives proponents the certainty they need to make investment decisions while ensuring British Columbians receive the revenues they deserve from this new industry, Finance Minister Michael de Jong said with the introduction of Bill 6, the Liquefied Natural Gas Income Tax Act in the B.C. legislature on Tuesday.

The LNG Income Tax framework reflects government’s announcement in February 2014 and government’s ongoing consultation with industry.

With this bill introduced in the legislature, LNG proponents will have a clear understanding of the tax framework and can begin to make final investment decisions. Currently, there are 18 potential LNG projects in British Columbia that have invested more than $7 billion to acquire natural gas assets in British Columbia. An additional $2 billion has been invested in preparation for construction of B.C. LNG infrastructure.

For British Columbians, the LNG Income Tax will help ensure that they receive a fair return on a publicly owned, non-renewable, natural resource.

The LNG Income Tax applies to the net income from liquefaction activities at LNG facilities in B.C. The tax rate on net income will be 3.5%, effective for taxation years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2017. During the period when net operating losses and the capital investment are being deducted, a tax rate of 1.5% will apply and is creditable against the 3.5% tax.

In 2037, the LNG Income Tax rate will increase to 5%. This ensures that proponents have time to build a strong foundation in the communities in which they operate, before the full extent of the tax is applied. It also ensures guaranteed revenue flow for the next generation of British Columbians.

To encourage investment, the tax framework will see a new B.C. Corporate Income Tax Credit available to any LNG Income Taxpayer that has a permanent establishment in B.C. This credit will be calculated based on the natural gas acquired for an LNG facility. The credit will have the effect of reducing the provincial corporate income tax rate from 11% to as low as 8% for that company. This will help attract new corporate income tax revenue to B.C.

The Province’s tax framework was reviewed in February 2014 and is competitive with competing jurisdictions, including the United States and Australia. B.C.’s advantage is more than just a competitive tax rate – proponents will benefit from B.C.’s skilled workforce, geographical proximity to markets and large natural gas reserves, as well as the cool, northern climate.

In February 2014, the LNG Income Tax rate was announced to be up to 7%, based on 2013 economic assumptions and conditions. At that time, B.C. undertook to introduce the tax in October 2014. The new, reduced rate of 3.5% is the result of changes to the market since. The combination of declining LNG selling prices and increased construction costs has resulted in a lower rate that is more attractive to investors and more indicative of current market conditions.

Government has undertaken extensive discussions with LNG industry proponents over the past two years. Government has considered their input to better understand business models, cost structures and competitiveness issues in creating this new tax.

The Liquefied Natural Gas Income Tax Act is subject to the approval of the legislature.

Premier Christy Clark said: “This marks an important next step in attracting an LNG industry in British Columbia. Our competitive tax framework provides certainty and stability for proponents, long-term revenues for British Columbians, and encourages high-paying jobs that will come and be generated by the establishment of this new industry.”

De Jong said: “Developing a tax framework for a promising new industry has been a complex process. We believe this overall framework strikes the right balance between a competitive economic environment and a fair return to British Columbians.”

Quick Facts:

* Initial LNG Income Tax rate: 1.5% while capital investment is being deducted.

* Tax at the 1.5% rate is creditable against the higher tax rate.

* Tax rate on net income: 3.5%, once capital investment is deducted.

* Tax rate will increase to 5% in 2037.

* Tax years take effect on or after Jan. 1, 2017.

* Natural Gas Tax Credit for Corporate Income Tax can reduce the effective B.C. Corporate Income Tax rate to 8% (from current 11% rate).

* Government revenue forecasts will depend on proponents making their investment decisions.

BUT the NDP said that Clark had slashed British Columbians’ share of LNG revenue in half.

In the eight months since the B.C. Liberals tabled their position on what would be a fair share of LNG revenue for British Columbia citizens who own the resource, Clark has cut that share by at least half, said Bruce Ralston, New Democrat Spokesperson on LNG.

“It’s hard to take Christy Clark at her word when it comes to LNG. She knew what to say when she promised a fair share of LNG revenues to British Columbians. Then she turned around and did whatever she wanted,” said Ralston.

“The LNG tax legislation introduced today was written by industry and for industry. It cuts in half the LNG tax the premier said was fair in the February 2014 Budget. Moreover, the new corporate income tax credit and deductions for pre-construction costs will also cut into the public’s share that Christy Clark promised just eight months ago.

“We warned that Christy Clark’s outlandish political promises to eradicate the provincial debt and the sales tax essentially eliminated her government’s bargaining position with LNG proponents, and we are seeing that in spades in the tax regime the B.C. Liberals introduced,” said Ralston.

The BC Liberal government finally brought forward legislation to define the LNG tax regime on Tuesday, 18 months later than they promised. On Monday the government also introduced environmental legislation covering the industry, but New Democrat environment spokesperson Spencer Chandra Herbert says it doesn’t go far enough.

“An LNG industry in B.C. needs to protect our air, land and water, and that means honouring our climate change commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Chandra Herbert. “The B.C. Liberals’ legislation won’t achieve that. It fails to address upstream emissions from natural gas production, and gives liquefaction facilities enough loopholes to ensure they won’t meet our emissions targets.”

John Horgan and the B.C. New Democrats believe that, in order to move forward, LNG development must include express guarantees of jobs and training opportunities for British Columbians, a fair return for our resources, benefits for First Nations, and protection of our air, land and water, including living up to our climate change commitments.

“The B.C. Liberals are failing on all four conditions. They know what to say, but then they can’t deliver,” said Ralston.

Delta: Point Roberts Radio Tower proposal denied

21 October 2014

THE Corporation of Delta announced that it received formal notification from the Whatcom County Hearing Examiner on Tuesday, denying the Point Roberts Radio Towers proposal.

According to the Hearing Examiner, the application was denied based on the following:

* “the height requirements of the Point Roberts Special District apply to this application;

* that the application cannot functionally meet these requirements;

* and that the requested Zoning Conditional Use Permit Application to allow BBC Broadcasting, Inc. to construct and operate a five-antenna array of AM Radio broadcast towers of approximately 145 feet to 150 feet in height, at 1563 McKenzie Way, Point Roberts, Washington, must be denied.”

The Whatcom Country Public Hearing for the KPRI Point Roberts radio tower proposal originally scheduled to take place next week has been cancelled in light of the Hearing Examiner’s decision to deny the application.

“This is a tremendous victory for our community,” said Delta Mayor Lois E. Jackson. “The level of engagement, lobbying, and hard work undertaken by many concerned Delta citizens, who banded together and worked in concert with us against this proposal, has truly paid off. By working together with our citizens, we have achieved the desired outcome we sought.”

A Zoning Conditional Use application and proposal to erect five radio transmission towers in Point Roberts was submitted by BBC Broadcasting Inc. to the Whatcom County Planning Department in July 2013. Since this time, Delta Council received a considerable amount of correspondence from concerned Tsawwassen residents, related to the potential for blanketing interference effects, potential health impacts, and impacts on the environment and wildlife.

With the proposal being in Point Roberts, Washington, the Corporation of Delta has no regulatory jurisdiction over this proposal. Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, key actions undertaken by Delta against this proposal include letters from Mayor Lois E. Jackson to Whatcom County to express concerns on behalf of residents and to E-Comm asking about potential adverse effects on emergency communications systems.

In November 2013, Jackson, Councillor Ian Paton and CAO George V. Harvie travelled to Ottawa to meet with federal government officials to outline the community’s concerns. The strongest communication to date, Jackson wrote to the Whatcom County Hearing Examiner indicating that the Conditional Use Permit should be denied on the basis that the project has potential to create adverse effects on local residents. Jackson also wrote to Industry Canada asking that it intercede on behalf of Delta residents to ensure adverse effects do not occur.

At a “No Radio Towers” Townhall meeting held in South Delta on September 17, Delta’s Chief Administrative Officer, George V. Harvie, spoke on behalf of the Mayor and Council outlining Delta’s position against the proposal, steps taken to date and Delta’s plans to speak at the Whatcom County Public Hearing.

BJP defers government formation in Maharashtra

21 October 2014

Mumbai (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party appears in no hurry to form the next government in Maharashtra and the process may be initiated only early next week after the Diwali festival is over, party sources said here Tuesday.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who as and party observer was expected to arrive in Mumbai along with senior colleague J.P. Nadda to crown the next Maharashtra chief minister, postponed his visit Tuesday for the second time in a row and will now come down next week.

“I am not going today. I may go to Mumbai after Diwali,” Rajnath Singh told media persons in New Delhi Tuesday, extending the nail-biting suspense in the state since the BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the 13th assembly elections but fell short of simple majority.

The state BJP – already assured of unconditional external support from the Nationalist Congress Party – has decided to continue its independent efforts to cobble up at least a minority government.

It has contacted over a dozen of the 18 Independents or newly-elected legislators from small and regional parties who have got single-digit representation in the new house.

Senior party leaders are claiming that with the support of these Independents and smaller or regional parties, the BJP could stake claim to form a minority government.

BJP sources also say that later, with the support of the NCP and the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi’s three legislators, it would easily sail through the vote-of-confidence in the legislature.

On its part, the Shiv Sena has also adopted a ‘wait-and-watch’ attitude while expressing readiness to sit in the opposition if the BJP failed to come up with an acceptable proposal for alliance.

In the 288-member assembly, the BJP and allies secured 123 seats, the Shiv Sena got 63, Congress managed 42, the NCP won 41 and the remaining seats were bagged by either Independents or smaller and regional parties. A party needs 145 seats for simple majority in the state assembly.

Victim of October 2 homicide in Richmond is Albertan gangster Theoren Gregory Poitras

21 October 2014

THEOREN Gregory Poitras, 25, is the homicide victim found in the 3400-block of Regina Avenue in Richmond on October 2, says the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

Poitras was a resident of Richmond at the time of his death and was known to police in Alberta for his involvement in gang activity.

At this early stage in the investigation, the reasons for his death remain a mystery but police have identified people of interest in this case. His cause of death will not be released at this time.

“IHIT can say that evidence retrieved so far supports that this was a targeted homicide” said Sgt. Bari Emam of IHIT.

IHIT is looking for information from anyone who may have been in the area of Talmey Elementary School in Richmond BC between 11:30 p.m. on October 1 and 1:30 a.m. on October 2 who observed any suspicious persons, vehicle or circumstances and requests them to call the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448 or email at ihittipline@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip on their website at Solvecrime.ca

165 of Indian state of Maharashtra’s 288 new lawmakers have criminal cases

21 October 2014

Mumbai (IANS): A whopping 165 of the 288 newly-elected legislators in Maharashtra have criminal cases against them, with 115 charged with serious offences of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women and communal disharmony, a watchdog said Tuesday.
Among them, 51 (31 percent) already have charges framed against them in various courts of law, said a study by the Maharashtra Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (MEW-ADR).
Three legislators, including two from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one from Shiv Sena have murder cases lodged, while 15, including five from the BJP, seven from the Shiv Sena, two from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and an Independent, have cases of attempt to murder against them.
In crimes against women, 11 legislators, including six from the Shiv Sena and five from the BJP, have cases against them, while eight have admitted to cases pertaining to sexual assault or criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty against them, the MEW-ADR said.
Three legislators have cases of causing communal disharmony, while 14 – including six from the Shiv Sena, five from the BJP, two from the NCP and one from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) – are charged with robberies or dacoities.
Nine legislators, including five from the NCP, three from the BJP and one from the Shiv Sena have cases related to kidnappings against them.
The BJP, with 122 legislators making it the single largest party in the 288-member legislature, has 74 legislators (61 percent) with criminal cases, while 48 (76 percent) of the total 63 Shiv Sena legislators, 15 lawmakers (36 percent) of the 42 Congress legislators and 18 legislators (44 percent) of the 41 NCP lawmakers have criminal cases against them.
A maximum number of BJP’s 46 legislators, Shiv Sena’s 35, NCP’s 18 and Congress’ 10 have serious criminal cases lodged against them, the MEW-ADR said in the party-wise analysis of the sworn affidavits of the legislators.
On the assets front, a staggering 253 (88 percent) of the 288 new legislators are crorepatis. [1 crore=10 million].
They include 80 (28 percent) with total assets worth over Rs.10 crore, 10 with assets of more than Rs.50 crore and four with assets worth more than Rs.100 crore.
The BJP has the largest number of crorepatis at 104, followed by Shiv Sena’s 54, NCP’s 39 and 38 of the Congress with assets worth more than Rs.1 crore.

Khattar to be Haryana CM; oath taking Sunday

21 October 2014

Chandigarh (IANS): Haryana is all set for a BJP rule for the first time, with Chief Minister-designate Manohar Lal Khattar scheduled to be sworn in Sunday.

Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki Tuesday invited Khattar, who earlier in the day was elected leader of the Haryana BJP Legislative Party, to form the new government in the state.

The oath-taking ceremony will take place at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Stadium in Panchkula, near here, instead of the Haryana Raj Bhavan.

Khattar, 60, will be the first Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister of the state, which was formed Nov 1, 1966.

The former Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) ‘pracharak’ was chosen by the newly elected BJP legislators as their leader at a meeting here.

The BJP, which created political history Sunday by winning 47 seats in the Haryana assembly polls, Tuesday staked its claim to form the next government in the state. The BJP, till now, used to play second fiddle to other regional parties in the state.

A letter from the party was submitted to the Haryana governor by Khattar after he was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislative group.

Khattar was accompanied to Raj Bhavan by union minister Venkaiah Naidu, BJP national vice president Dinesh Sharma, state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma, union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar and other BJP leaders.

“I have been chosen by the party legislators and the BJP leadership for this responsibility. I can assure you that we will work for the welfare of the people of Haryana,” Khattar said.

“My government will be transparent and there will be no discrimination with any area. We will take everyone together,” Khattar, sporting a light blue half-jacket, told media persons.

Despite being a first-time legislator with no administrative experience, the BJP chose the man from the Punjabi community to play its debutant leading role in the Jat-dominated politics of Haryana.

Khattar is seen as a “no-nonsense man” with organizational skills.

Naidu and Sharma attended the meeting of the legislators as observers sent by the BJP’s parliamentary board.

“The name of Khattar was proposed for chief minister by Haryana BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma and he (Khattar) was unanimously elected,” BJP central observer Dinesh Sharma told media.

The BJP got the majority on its own for the first time in Haryana in the results of the elections to the 90-member assembly declared Sunday.

Besides Khattar, other names earlier doing rounds for the chief minister’s post were those of state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma, state BJP spokesperson Abhimanyu, senior legislator Anil Vij and BJP Kisan Cell leader O.P. Dhankar from among the recently elected legislators.

Other names being mentioned were of union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal. The name of Congressman-turned-BJP leader Birender Singh also figured in the speculation.

Birender Singh, Rao Inderjit Singh and Sushma Swaraj, all of whom are leaders from Haryana, were conspicuous by their absence as the BJP elected its first chief ministerial candidate.

This is the first time that the BJP will form its own government in the state. The party won only four assembly seats in the 2009 polls.

Results of the Haryana assembly elections were historic for the BJP as the party romped home with 47 legislators.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) followed with 19 legislators, while the Congress, which was in power since March 2005, managed to get only 15 seats. Two seats went to the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), one each to Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Five Independent candidates were also elected.

ICBC launches new pedestrian safety campaign across B.C.: Nearly one in five people killed in car crashes are pedestrians

21 October 2014

ICBC is launching a new education campaign across the province to help keep pedestrians safe this fall and winter when crashes involving pedestrians increase significantly in B.C.

On average, 76 per cent more pedestrians are injured in crashes from November to January every year when conditions are dark and weather is poor compared to June to August in B.C.

ICBC is partnering with TransLink, Transit Police and BC Transit with new advertising featured on SkyTrains and in buses across B.C. to reach pedestrians on transit.

ICBC and community policing volunteers throughout B.C. will also be handing out pedestrian safety reflectors and tips at events throughout the province to help educate pedestrians about the importance of being visible to drivers in dark, fall conditions.

In a new ICBC survey, 76 per cent of drivers and 83 per cent of pedestrians stated they’re concerned about hitting a pedestrian or being hit by a driver in an intersection. Yet, on average, 75 per cent of crashes with pedestrians still occur at intersections in B.C.

“The impending switch from Daylight Savings Time, shorter days and more severe weather all increase the need for drivers to concentrate on the road and watch for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Suzanne Anton, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “Keep in mind that distraction is the second leading cause of traffic fatalities and a top contributing factor in vehicle-pedestrian collisions. It is more important than ever to pay attention to the road and to others on the road.”

“Drivers need to be mindful of just how vulnerable pedestrians are in dark and winter conditions and always be prepared to yield the right of way to pedestrians,” said Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

“Nearly one in five people killed in car crashes every year in B.C. are pedestrians and most of these deaths are preventable,” said Metro Vancouver Transit Police Chief Officer Neil Dubord, Chair of the Traffic Safety Committee of the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police. “Drivers can play a key role in preventing these crashes by staying focused on the road and avoiding distractions. As a pedestrian, it’s important to make eye contact with drivers before crossing – don’t assume a driver has seen you.”

“The majority of pedestrian-related crashes happen at intersections so we’re asking drivers to be vigilant in looking for pedestrians this fall and winter,” said John Dickinson, ICBC’s road safety director. “Pedestrians also need to do their part by making sure they’re seen by drivers and actively looking and listening for oncoming vehicles.”

Tips by road user:

Drivers

* Be ready to yield to pedestrians – especially at intersections and near transit stops where pedestrians may not use crosswalks.

* When turning at an intersection, look twice to make sure there are no pedestrians crossing.

* Give yourself extra time and space to stop in case a pedestrian suddenly crosses the street.

Pedestrians

* Look. Always make eye contact with drivers. Never assume that a driver has seen you.

* Listen. Focus your full attention on what’s happening around you. Remove your headphones and never talk, text or use electronic devices in an intersection or while crossing.

* Be seen. Wear reflective clothing or use reflective gear to make it easier for drivers to see you.

* Be extra cautious at intersections. Watch for vehicles turning left or right through the crosswalk. Always cross at designated crosswalks – never mid-block. Follow pedestrian signs and traffic signals and never cross once the signal has turned yellow or red.

Transit users

* Make sure that you’re visible when you’re walking to and from your transit stop. Wear clothing or carry reflective items so drivers can see you in all weather conditions.

* Be cautious at transit stops. Always cross at designated crosswalks – not mid-block. Avoid running for the bus and taking shortcuts.

Quick facts:

* ICBC looked to Scandinavian countries where pedestrian reflectors have been widely used since the 1970s and are credited with helping to reduce pedestrian crashes. The low-light conditions in B.C. in fall, winter and early spring are similar to those found in Scandinavian countries.

* The top contributing factors for drivers in crashes involving pedestrians are: distraction, failure to yield the right of way and weather.

Regional statistics:

* In B.C., on average, 58 pedestrians are killed and 2,400 injured in crashes every year.

* In the Lower Mainland, on average, 33 pedestrians are killed and 1,700 injured in crashes every year.

* On Vancouver Island, on average, 10 pedestrians are killed and 330 pedestrians are injured in crashes every year.

* In the Southern Interior, on average, 12 pedestrians are killed and 240 pedestrians are injured in crashes every year.

* In the North Central region, on average, 90 pedestrians are injured and four pedestrians are killed in crashes every year.

Government spending at Vancouver City Hall 78 per cent higher (per person) than Surrey City Hall

21 October 2014

WITH municipal elections around the corner, a new study from the rightwing Fraser Institute spotlights and compares government finances in 17 municipalities across Metro Vancouver.

“Municipal governments across the region provide important public services, but their tax and spending policies tend not to receive a whole lot of scrutiny. Our report helps taxpayers and voters better understand the state of their municipality’s finances and how they compare to other municipalities,” said Charles Lammam, the Fraser Institute’s Associate Director of Tax and Fiscal Policy and co-author of Comparing Municipal Government Finances in Metro Vancouver.

The study compares 17 of Metro Vancouver’s 21 municipalities on several categories of fiscal policy (government spending, revenue, and debt) from 2002 to 2012 (the latest year of available data).

For example, among the 17 municipalities, West Vancouver was the highest spender in 2012 at $2,118 per person, followed by New Westminster ($1,837) and Vancouver ($1,689). Surrey, by contrast, was the lowest spender at $951, well below the regional spending average of $1,384 per person.

In other words, Vancouver, the most populated municipality in Metro Vancouver, spends 78 per cent more (per person) than Surrey, the region’s second most populated municipality.

Over the 10-year period, all 17 municipalities increased spending well beyond the rate needed to accommodate for inflation and population growth—a key benchmark for spending growth.

In addition to spending, the study also compares government revenue (including property taxes and other fees) in the 17 municipalities.

Once again, West Vancouver topped the list, collecting $2,548 in revenue per person in 2012, followed by New Westminster ($2,424) and Vancouver ($2,167). Surrey collected the least amount of revenue per person ($1,451) while the regional average was $1,916.

Specifically, on property taxes, a key revenue source, some municipalities rely more heavily on businesses over residents.

For example, Burnaby draws 52 per cent of its property tax revenue from businesses, the highest percentage among the 17 municipalities, compared to the lowest (7.9 per cent) in West Vancouver. Notably, Vancouver, the region’s economic hub, draws a much higher percentage (45.1 per cent) than Surrey (31.3 per cent) and the regional average (40.7 per cent).

“By relying too heavily on businesses for property tax revenue or maintaining uncompetitive tax rates, municipalities risk scaring off entrepreneurs and business people who consider property taxes when making decisions about whether to continue operations, whether to expand, or whether to start a business in the first place,” Lammam said.

University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) commissions play about Komagata Maru incident – premieres November 1

21 October 2014

THERE are events in history that tell us much about the era’s social views and prejudices.

The Komagata Maru incident is one of those.

One hundred years ago a ship named the Komagata Maru dropped anchor in Vancouver with 376 passengers on board. The majority of these passengers were Sikh men (and British subjects) intending to immigrate to Canada.

The journey was a challenge to a Canadian law that prevented immigration aboard ships that had not travelled by ‘continuous journey’ from their country of origin.

Most passengers were prevented from ever leaving the ship. It sat moored for two months while immigration officials argued in support of the entry ban and the courts deliberated before being forced out and back to India, where they were shot at by British Indian troops where most men were either killed, injured, imprisoned or forced into exile.

The Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley is marking this pivotal moment in Canadian and British Empire history with a specially commissioned play. That Land Beyond the Waves will debut on Saturday, November 1 at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (with a matinee performance to follow on November 2).

“In many ways, the Komagata Maru incident was the beginning of the end for the British Empire,” says Satwinder Bains, Director of the UFV Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies. “Indians were dismayed by the lack of British response to this display of racism in a British colony, and it helped spark pro-national enthusiasm among the Indian diaspora settled in the Pacific Northwest.

“This play, along with other events that have commemorated the centennial of the Komagata Maru incident help spark interest in and knowledge of history,” said Bains. “We hope this attention is not short-lived. We need to take the dark moments of history and integrate them into the Canadian storyline, to bring the past into the present so we can work for a better future.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized for the Komagata Maru incident at a public event in Surrey in 2008. The B.C. government also formally apologized in the legislature.

Rajnish Dhawan, an English professor at UFV, was commissioned to write the latest play about the incident. His colleague John Carroll is directing the play.

The play examines the Komagata Maru incident from the perspective of both an Indian immigrant whose sister is on the ship and the European-Canadians he works for in the town of Abbotsford, B.C.

“The main character travels between his world as an immigrant who is separated from his family and lives with other single immigrants, and the world of the family he works for,” notes Dhawan. “I wanted to show how the general public responded to this issue — which I achieve by showing the reactions of the European family. But also I wanted to evoke how it felt for families to be separated. Denial to entry to a group of people didn’t just mean they couldn’t enter Canada, it was also a denial of family reunification. People were awaiting the arrival of their nearest and dearest — there were at least five women and one child on the ship. I have tried to project the pain of having a person you are so fond of so nearby, but you cannot get to them. They are so helpless, but you are unable to provide them with basic amenities.”

Sharanjit Sandhra of the CICS says that theatre is a way of bringing history to life, especially for children.

“It’s an alternate way of learning about history that allows us to reflect on important events of the past in the current moment.”

That Land Beyond the Waves plays Saturday, November 1 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 2 at 2 p.m. at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium. Doors open 30 minutes before the performance. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for students. Tickets available here or by following the link from www.ufv.ca/cis. For further details or call 604-851-6325.

To complement the play and ongoing until December 2014, an exhibition titled Challenge and Denial: Komagata Maru 100 Years Later 1914-2014 is on display at the Sikh Heritage Museum located in the National Historic Site, Gur Sikh Temple in Abbotsford.

Inspector Ghalib Bhayani – new Community Services Officer for Surrey RCMP

21 October 2014

INSPECTOR Ghalib Bhayani is the new Community Services Officer for the Surrey RCMP detachment.

In this role, he will oversee a variety of policing units dedicated to community engagement and crime prevention including: Youth Unit, Neighbourhood Liaison Unit, Media Unit, Traffic Services and the five District Offices.

Bhayani has over 23 years of diverse policing experience: 10 years with Delta Police Department and the past 13 years with the RCMP. He has worked at both Richmond and Burnaby detachments as well as the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. In addition, he spent several months on a UN peacekeeping tour in Sudan as the Regional Security Officer.

He recently completed a PhD from the London Metropolitan University with a focus on police accountability. Insp. Bhayani speaks several languages, and is the only Ismaili RCMP Inspector in Canada.

“I am very pleased to welcome Insp. Bhayani to a position I believe is vitally important for this detachment and for the city as a whole,” said Officer in Charge, Chief Superintendent Bill Fordy. “I have known Ghalib for several years and he brings a wealth of both policing and life experience to the position.”

Having spent much of his childhood in Surrey, Bhayani is looking forward to working with the largest RCMP detachment in Canada.

“Surrey is a dynamic and diverse city, and I am eager to meet with the various community groups, businesses and partner agencies that all have an important role to play in preventing crime,” said Bhayani.

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