South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley off to India to attract foreign investment

9 November 2014

Washington, Nov 8 (IANS) South Carolina’s Indian-American Governor Nikki Haley will lead a 10-day trade mission to India in November, hoping to attract more foreign investment and sell the state as a tourist destination

The Nov 12-22 trip is intended to make a “first impression” that sells South Carolina as a tourism destination and a place to do business, local newspaper The State reported citing an official.

Haley, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York in September, was cited by the State as telling reporters Thursday that she did not know what to expect from the trip.

“But when I met with the prime minister, we had a lot of conversations.”

Haley said she sees opportunities in pharmaceuticals, automotives and agriculture.

“There’s a lot that India is doing very well that they now want to start investing in the United States,” she said.

“That’s really where my goal is: where can I get them to invest and do more of those things.”

India is South Carolina’s 16th-largest trading partner, according to state Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt.

Last year, the state’s exports to India were valued at $352 million, up from $110 million in 2005, ranking South Carolina 14th in the nation for its exports to India.

US exports to India have increased by 127 percent since 2006, outpacing the growth in all other foreign exports combined, which only grew by 50 percent during the same time period.

The trip’s schedule is “nothing short of gruelling” with 90 planned meetings and events, including 40 on Haley’s itinerary, Hitt said.

State Commerce officials have travelled to India four times in two years to prepare for the trip, but Haley’s visit will garner media attention there, he said.

The trip next week is a chance for South Carolina to make a “first impression” on India businesses and commerce officials, Hitt said.

“This is our way of pushing out a message that we’re serious about our relationship with India.”

South Carolina economic development organizations such as the Upstate Alliance, The LINK Alliance and the S.C. Power Team, as also companies interested in exporting goods to India will join the trip.

Hitt said state officials are keying in on the Indian manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors while there, hoping to tap into an “emerging” market.

While in India, Haley will address several business organizations and, with Duane Parrish, state Parks, Recreation and Tourism director, pitch the state as a tourist destination to several India-based travel media.

A group of state legislators also will attend the Aeromart Summit, an international business summit for the aerospace industry.

Haley will travel to New Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Mumbai and Chennai. Others in the delegation will travel to New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai, Hitt said.

The trip marks the second time Haley has travelled to her parents’ homeland that she last visited when she was 2 years old.

VOICE adds:

Haley was elected to represent the 87th district in Lexington County in 2004 when, as a virtual unknown, she beat the longest serving state legislator in a Republican primary. In 2008, then-Representative Haley was sent back to the Statehouse with 83 percent of the vote – the highest percentage earned by any lawmaker facing a contested South Carolina election that year.

She went on to win the Republican Party nomination for governor on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.

Born in Bamberg, S.C., the daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley’s first job was keeping the books for her family’s clothing store – at the age of 13. She graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and, following her graduation, worked as Accounting Supervisor for a private company and five of its subsidiaries. She then returned to the family business and helped oversee its growth into a multi-million dollar operation.

Haley and her husband Michael, a full-time federal technician with the South Carolina National Guard and an officer in the Army National Guard, attend Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church in Lexington.

They have two children, daughter Rena, 16, and son Nalin, 13.

Modi inducts 21 new ministers, reshuffles portfolios

9 November 2014

New Delhi (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday expanded his council of ministers, inducting 21 new faces, including four of cabinet rank, in a bid to consolidate the gains of the Lok Sabha elections by giving representation to various regions and communities, while also reshuffling some key portfolios.

Manohar Parrikar is the new defence minister, Suresh Prabhu has been given charge of railways, Jagat Prakash Nadda is the new health and family welfare minister, while Birender Singh succeeds the late Gopinath Munde as the rural development and panchayati raj minister.

The 45-member Modi ministry Sunday added to it four cabinet ministers, three ministers of state with independent charge, and 14 ministers of state (MoS).

Portfolios of the new ministers were announced late Sunday night ahead of the first meeting of the expanded ministry slated for Monday. There was also a reshuffle of portfolios.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who relinquishes his additional charge of defence to Parrikar, has been now given information and broadcasting, currently held by Parakash Javadekar as a minister of state (independent charge).

D.V. Sadananda Gowda was moved from railways to law and justice, held by Ravi Shankar Prasad, who now just has the portfolio of communications and information technology. Harsh Vardhan has been shifted from health to science and technology, currently held by minister of state (independent charge) Jitendra Singh.

The much-anticipated first ministry expansion was marred with ally Shiv Sena calling off participation in the government at the last minute, exacerbating their already strained ties.

Prabhu, who was a minister in the first national Democratic Alliance government, was sworn in after he quit the Shiv Sena and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In Mumbai, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray described Prabhu’s joining the BJP as “unfortunate” but indicated that Anant Geete, party’s representative in the Modi government, will continue for the time being.

Thackeray put a condition that his party will sit in opposition in Maharashtra if BJP takes support of the Nationalist Congress Party to prove its majority in the state assembly Nov 12.

The Sena at the last minute recalled Anil Desai, who it had nominated for induction in the union ministry. According to reports, Desai arrived in Delhi for the oath-taking ceremony but was ordered to return.

Parrikar, who is widely tipped to get the defence portfolio, was the first to be administered oath by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan and was followed by Nadda, who is known to be close to Modi and party chief Amit Shah.

Giriraj Singh, 61, who courted controversy with his comment that “those who oppose Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan” and was also booked for the hate speech, got a place as as minister of state.

Jayant Sinha, the IIT-Delhi and Harvard-educated MP from Hazaribagh in election-bound Jharkhand, is among the professionals inducted in the ministry as a balancing act to induction of state leaders with caste or community base.

The ministry expansion also signalled BJP’s efforts to consolidate its gains in the states it had done well in the Lok Sabha elections and give representation to various dominant castes and communities to expand its social base in view of the assembly elections over the next few years.

Keeping in mind next year’s elections in Bihar which are crucial for the BJP, the council has three new faces from the state – Rajiv Pratap Rudy (MoS independent charge), Ram Kirpal Yadav and Giriraj Singh (both MoS), all belonging to different and numerically significant communities. Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Ravi Shankar Prasad are also from Bihar.

Uttar Pradesh, another state crucial for the BJP, got four new berths – Mahesh Sharma, a doctor who is the MP from Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida); Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who is a Rajya Sabha member; Ram Shankar Katheria, the Agra MP; and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.

Even with Sunday’s expansion, Modi’s ministry is leaner than those headed by Manmohan Singh. Officials said that Singh’s ministry stood at 78 after its final reshuffle while the previous NDA had expanded even beyond that.

Modi also brought into his ministry the party’s known Muslim face in Naqvi, adding to Najma Heptullah, who is minority affairs minister.

He also added to the representation of women by inducting Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, BJP MP from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh, to take their number to eight.

The youngest MP inducted in the ministry Sunday is well-known singer Babul Supriyo Baral, the only face in the ministry from West Bengal where the BJP wants to consolidate after recent gains. The Asansol MP was inducted as a minister of state.

The only NDA ally to get a berth in Sunday’s expansion was Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Rajya Sabha MP, Y.S. Chowdary as an MoS.

Apart from Prabhu, the BJP inducted party MP Hansraj Ahir from Maharashtra where the party got success in the recent assembly polls.

Gujarat got new faces – Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, and Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundarya, while Olympian Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Sanwar Lal Jat were inducted from Rajasthan. Vijay Sampla, BJP Hoshiarpur MP, was inducted as MoS.

LIST FROM MODI’S WEBSITE

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi: Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy Department of Space; All important policy issues and all other portfolios not allocated to any Minister

CABINET MINISTERS

1. Shri Rajnath Singh: Home Affairs

2. Smt. Sushma Swaraj: External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs

3. Shri Arun Jaitley: Finance, Corporate Affairs, Information & Broadcasting

4. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu: Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Parliamentary Affairs

5. Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari: Road Transport and Highways, Shipping

6. Shri Manohar Parrikar: Defence

7. Shri Suresh Prabhu: Railways

8. Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda: Law & Justice

9. Sushri Uma Bharati: Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation

10. Dr. Najma A. Heptulla: Minority Affairs

11. Shri Ramvilas Paswan: Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

12. Shri Kalraj Mishra: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

13. Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi: Women and Child Development

14. Shri Ananthkumar: Chemicals and Fertilizers

15. Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad: Communications and Information Technology

16. Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda: Health & Family Welfare

17. Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati: Civil Aviation

18. Shri Anant Geete: Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises

19. Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal: Food Processing Industries

20. Shri Narendra Singh Tomar: Mines, Steel

21. Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh: Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation

22. Shri Jual Oram: Tribal Affairs

23. Shri Radha Mohan Singh: Agriculture

24. Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot: Social Justice and Empowerment

25. Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani: Human Resource Development

26. Dr. Harsh Vardhan: Science and Technology, Earth Sciences

MINISTERS OF STATE

27. General V.K. Singh: Statistics and Programme Implementation (Independent Charge), External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs

28. Shri Inderjit Singh Rao: Planning (Independent Charge), Defence

29. Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar: Textiles (Independent Charge)

30. Shri Bandaru Dattatreya: Labour and Employment (Independent Charge)

31. Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy: Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs

32. Shri Shripad Yesso Naik: AAYUSH (Independent Charge), Health & Family Welfare

33. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan: Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent Charge)

34. Shri Sarbananda Sonowal: Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge)

35. Shri Prakash Javadekar: Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge)

36. Shri Piyush Goyal: Power (Independent Charge), Coal (Independent Charge), New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge)

37. Dr. Jitendra Singh: Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space

38. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman: Commerce and Industry (Independent Charge)

39. Dr. Mahesh Sharma: Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge), Civil Aviation

40. Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: Minority Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs

41. Shri Ram Kripal Yadav: Drinking Water & Sanitation

42. Shri Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary: Home Affairs

43. Shri Sanwar Lal Jat: Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation

44. Shri Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya: Agriculture

45. Shri Giriraj Singh: Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises

46. Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir: Chemicals & Fertilizers

47. Shri G.M. Siddeshwara: Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises

48. Shri Manoj Sinha: Railways

49. Shri Nihalchand: Panchayati Raj

50. Shri Upendra Kushwaha: Human Resource Development

51. Shri Radhakrishnan P.: Road Transport & Highways, Shipping

52. Shri Kiren Rijiju: Home Affairs

53. Shri Krishan Pal: Social Justice & Empowerment

54. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan: Agriculture

55. Shri Manuskhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava: Tribal Affairs

56. Shri Raosaheb Dadarao Danve: Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

57. Shri Vishnu Deo Sai: Mines, Steel

58. Shri Sudarshan Bhagat: Rural Development

59. Prof. (Dr.) Ram Shankar Katheria: Human Resource Development

60. Shri Y.S. Chowdary: Science and Technology, Earth Science

61. Shri Jayant Sinha: Finance

62. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: Information & Broadcasting

63. Shri Babul Supria (Babul Supriyo) Baral: Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation

64. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti: Food Processing Industries

65. Shri Vijay Sampla: Social Justice & Empowerment

Dean Drysdale wins Conservative nomination from Cloverdale-Langley City, Dave Hayer knocked out in second round

8 November 2014

FORMER Langley City councillor Dean Drysdale won the Conservative Party nomination from Cloverdale-Langley City federal riding on Saturday night.

Drysdale won in the third round of voting, defeating life insurance salesman Mike Garisto 528 to 503 – 25 votes.

The other two candidates were Surrey business lawyer Tako van Popta and former Liberal MLA Dave Hayer who got knocked out in the second round.

Surrey businessman Paul Brar, who had to withdraw from the nomination race along with Gurmant Grewal, supported Drysdale.

Tako van Popta got only 206 votes in the first round, while Drysdale led with 422 votes, followed by Garisto with 335 votes and Hayer with 345 votes.

In the second round, Drysdale led again with 456 votes, followed by Garisto with 443 votes and Hayer with 373 votes.

In a message on his website, Drysdale said: “Thank you to the members of the Cloverdale – Langley City Conservative Party of Canada Electoral District Association for electing me as the candidate for the next General Election.

“I look forward to serving everyone in Cloverdale – Langley City and working with our Party under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to win this seat.

“Thank you to my fellow candidates, Mike Garisto, Dave Hayer and Tako van Popta for having the courage to present your names and reputations to our community.”

DRYSDALE is currently teaching as a professor of Business Management at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and runs his own consulting firm in the area of corporate finance.

Since 1981, he served in the Canadian Army Reserves, currently with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Trained as an artillery officer, he commanded the15th Field Regiment, RCA from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, he was appointed Canadian Vice-President of the CIOR, which is the NATO Association of Reserve Officers. Since 2008, he has served as a regional liaison officer attached to the Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters. He attended the Militia Command and Staff College and has taught as a civilian on the US Marine Corps Command and Staff College as well as participating in the Persian Gulf War as a journalist attached to the Egyptian Army.

THE VOICE was the first to report (last week on Saturday on our website at www.voiceonline.com) that Surrey businessman Paul Brar and at least one other South Asian candidate had been ordered by the Conservative Party to withdraw their nomination from the Cloverdale-Langley City riding.

The second candidate was former Conservative MP Gurmant Grewal.

The party did not give any reason, but The VOICE has now learned the possible reasons, but will not disclose it for now.

South Asians comprise only 10 per cent of the riding’s population. East Asians form another 10 per cent and the rest are all white.

Missing person: Rupinder Singh of Coquitlam

8 November 2014

COQUITLAM RCMP responded to a missing person report on November 7: Rupinder Singh was last seen on November 7 (Friday).

Rupinder Singh is described as:

* 49-year-old South Asian male

* Black hair in a blue or dark colored turban

* 5’8 and 180 lbs with brown eyes.

He is possibly wearing blue jeans, a black coat with yellow stripes and runners.

The Coquitlam RCMP would like the public’s assistance to locate Rupinder Singh.

Contact the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550 and quote file number 2014-32070 if you have information on his current whereabouts.

Vikram Vij bags Surrey’s “Business Person of the Year” Award by the Surrey Board of Trade

7 November 2014

CHEF Vikram Vij took home the prestigious Business Person of the Year award Thursday night at the Surrey Business Excellence Awards.

Vij joined the city’s booming business community in 2008 when he broke ground on his food production facility on 55^th Avenue and he recently opened his newest restaurant, My Shanti, at Morgan Crossing in South Surrey.

“I’m honoured that the Surrey Board of Trade has given me this award,” said Vij. “But really I should thank the city’s community for opening its arms to our production facility and, more recently, to My Shanti. Surrey is such a vibrant place to do business – the community is made up of people from all over the world who really appreciate good food.”

The Surrey Board of Trade said chef Vij is a shining example of a well-rounded businessperson – from leadership and planning to customer-focus and community involvement – making him the perfect candidate for the award.

“The Surrey Board of Trade was pleased to award Vikram Vij Surrey’s 2014 Business Person of the Year,” said Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade. “He exceeded the judges’ expectations.”

Vij opened his 28,000-square-foot production facility in Surrey in 2011, after three years of construction. The factory is used to cook and package Vij’s At Home, his line of frozen meals that are sold in hundreds of grocery stores across Canada.

But the gem of Vij’s business ventures in Surrey is My Shanti, which literally sparkles on the edge of the city’s go-to shopping and dining destination, Morgan Crossing, at Croydon Drive and 24^th Avenue. The top half of the exterior wall is covered in thousands of shimmering silver mirrored discs.

“We wanted to bring our Indian food to Surrey since opening our facility on 55^th Avenue and I’m so happy that My Shanti is now serving delicious meals to the people of Surrey,” said Vij.

Vij’s Restaurant has also recently been nominated in the Small Business BC Awards, in the Premier’s People’s Choice category.

VIJ was born in India, went to Austria at the age of 20 and moved to Canada in 1989. In September 1994 Vikram opened Vij’s Restaurant in Vancouver and in 1995, his wife, Meeru Dhalwala, joined him and the two began collaborating on the menu.

In 2004, Vikram and Meeru opened up a second restaurant and market called Vij’s Rangoli. Vikram’s third restaurant, My Shanti in South Surrey, opened in Spring 2014.

Vikram has his own range of frozen meals, Vij’s At Home, available in many major retailers across Canada.

Vikram was a guest judge on Top Chef Canada in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was a judge on the first season of Chopped Canada. Vikram Vij made his debut as a Dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den in October 2014.

In 2012, Vikram, along with Vancouver food truck experts Gourmet Syndicate, launched Vij’s Railway Express, a mobile food truck selling fresh-cooked cuisine based on Vikram’s travels through India. In October 2013, Vij’s Railway Express was awarded the inaugural People’s Choice Award from Air Canada’s enRoute Magazine, as Canada’s Best New Restaurant.

Vikram and Meeru have published two award-winning cookbooks: Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine, and Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey.

Lest We Forget

7 November 2014

BY HARNOOR GILL

Grade 11 student

Christ The King Catholic Secondary

Georgetown, Ontario

Flight Sergeant Gill of 820 Chris Hadfield Squadron participated in the Remembrance Day service that was held at the Haltonville Cenotaph in Brookville Sunday, November 2, 2014. Photo submitted — Flight Sergeant Gill of 820 Chris Hadfield Squadron participated in the Remembrance Day service that was held at the Haltonville Cenotaph in Brookville Sunday, November 2, 2014.
Photo by Justin Greaves

REMEMBRANCE Day is an important part of Canadian history and heritage. Ever since the first official Armistice Day was held on the morning of November 11, 1919 on the grounds of Buckingham Palace following the end of World War I, our great nation of Canada has made it an integral part of honouring our veterans. Remembering those brave souls that went out of their way to keep Canada’s freedom intact is the central theme of this day of remembrance. Although many of us know that wearing a poppy is a sign of respect for the day of November 11, I would bet that at least 50% of us do not know what the significance of the poppy is for this day, and why it was chosen. Not to worry though; through my experience as an air cadet, I will venture to explain the significance of the poppy, and describe how you can participate in Remembrance Day this year.

During the spring of 1915, many soldiers noted that poppies grew on the treacherous battlefields of Belgium, France and Gallipoli, which gave hope for the future that not all effort was lost. Before then the red poppy had long been associated with the battlefields of Europe, but it was Canadian physician, poet, and medical officer Lieutenant Colonel John McRae’s poem “In Flanders Fields” that inspired American professor Moina Michael – after World War I ended in 1918 – to promote wearing a silk poppy year-round by the American Legion as a sign of remembrance.

Wearing the poppy then spread to France and from there to England and the rest of the British Commonwealth, including Canada. This is the story behind the poppy and now nations such as United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have continued this tradition of wearing a poppy for remembrance. Generally, a poppy today is mainly an artificial plastic flower worn on the left lapel to commemorate those fallen soldiers that have fought for our country’s freedom.

On the day I turned 12, I joined Milton’s 820 Chris Hadfield Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. My parents hoped that as a tween, I would go out and do other things instead of just sitting at home all day. I cannot thank my parents enough for pushing me to join cadets, because the Canadian Cadet Movement has been the best youth program that I have ever been a part of. It has taught me a lot about the history of Canada’s important role in various battles throughout the First and Second World Wars. As an Air Cadet with the rank of Flight Sergeant, it is important for me to participate in activities outside of cadets as well. It is also customary for cadets to participate in local Remembrance Day parades. At our squadron, there are three different parades that cadets are invited to participate in and perform ceremonial duties for. I try to attend at least two of these parades, particularly the one held in Haltonville, and the other in Milton’s Victoria Park. Holding a senior rank, I have been responsible for leading a small group of cadets on a march to Milton’s cenotaph. It was a great experience because I saw the ceremony firsthand and heard the booming voice of the Parade Marshal – how incredible for a person of a senior age like that!

All in all, I had a great time representing my squadron in the community along with my fellow cadets. In order to gain both a sense of respect for the fallen soldiers that help to keep this country free, as well as to witness some of the most amazing ceremonial routines you may ever see, this year I challenge the readers of this article and the people that have “liked” my Facebook page to go out of their way just a bit to attend their local Remembrance Day ceremony. Thank you for reading, and I hope you gained some insight about why it is important for us to remember by wearing a red poppy on November 11. Lest We Forget!

Abbotsford Police breathe a sigh of relief after no major incidents involving two groups of South Asians youths on Halloween

7 November 2014

BY RATTAN MALL

Abbotsford Police Constable Ian MacDonald

ABBOTSFORD Police were on the alert during Halloween because of the continuing tensions between two groups of South Asian youths that have been going on for months and have been reported in this newspaper several times.

But the night went off peacefully.

Constable Ian MacDonald told The VOICE on Thursday: “I take it as a positive sign. We deployed a lot of resources on Halloween because we thought if something could happen, Halloween might be the time it takes place. And the good news is we didn’t have any major incidents on Halloween.”

Earlier last month, Harwindip Singh Baringh, 18, was found shot dead in the driver’s seat of a dark coloured SUV in the 30500 block of Sparrow Drive in West Abbotsford.

Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman, who chairs the Abbotsford Police Board as part of his duties as mayor, said he was committed to seeing justice done in this case and noted: “These kinds of appalling events must be stopped. We known that every community has bad elements, and the whole community is in shock due to the acts of these few individuals, but as your mayor I can assure you that we are committed to bringing the offenders to justice.”

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team that is handling the case has yet to make an arrest in the case.

MacDonald noted that though nothing major occurred on Halloween, they still have the occasional incident that police can’t directly connect to the two South Asian groups of youths though they certainly suspect that these are a continuation of the ongoing feud.

When I told MacDonald that I would have thought that Baringh’s murder would have knocked some sense into the youths, he pointed out: “Like most things, it kind of has an immediate effect … I think for some people, the wiser people, it provides that shock and reality … but at the end of the day, we have people who have been making stupid decisions for several months and so to try to stop 20 people from making stupid decisions, it takes a lot more work than just sometimes showing them the consequences. It takes a lot more work than the police department and the media and even community leaders telling them how stupid their decisions are.”

He added; “I think it’s going to be a work in progress for some time, to be honest with you.”

MacDonald said the community has been very involved in dealing with this and police appreciate their assistance.

He added: “At one level it’s such a basic issue – youth making core decisions and maybe needing some mentoring and guiding to make better decisions. Due to the nature and the history of the conflict between the groups, it’s a lot more complicated in terms of trying to make it stop. Everything that we can do that will hopefully get people to move away from the conflict is what we are trying.”

MacDonald, however, said that the feud is not gang-related and involves some 20 youths on either side.

Study permits issued to international students up by 26 percent since 2012: Almost 14,000 from India in 2013

7 November 2014

Chris Alexander Photo by Chandra Bodalia — Chris Alexander
Photo by Chandra Bodalia

CANADA is on track to welcome a record number of foreign students this year, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander announced Friday.

103,999 study permits were issued from January to September this year, an 11-percent increase from the same period in 2013 (93,717) and a 26-percent increase for the same period in 2012 (84,207).

More than half of international students entering Canada in 2013 were citizens of the following five countries: the People’s Republic of China (29,414), India (13,758), South Korea (7,284), France (7,045) and the United States (4,847).

In June 2014, Canada announced new regulations to strengthen Canada’s reputation as a study destination of choice and improve services to genuine students, while protecting Canada’s international reputation for high-quality education and reducing the potential for fraud and misuse of the program.

In 2013, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada launched a strategy to double the number of international students coming to Canada without displacing Canadian students by 2022. The department estimates that international students contribute more than $8 billion to the Canadian economy annually.

“Our government is proud that Canada continues to be a study destination of choice for international students. International students generate an estimated $8 billion in economic activity in Canada each year and thousands will remain in Canada permanently, putting their education and experience to work and contributing to economic and job growth in Canada,” said Alexander.

Doug McCallum and Safe Surrey Coalition will leverage old City Hall land for new hospital

7 November 2014

Doug McCallum Photo by Chandra Bodalia — Doug McCallum
Photo by Chandra Bodalia

SURREY mayoral hopeful Doug McCallum and the Safe Surrey Coalition are pledging to use city-owned land around the old City Hall as an enticement to the BC government to secure a new hospital for the City of Surrey. The 15 acres surrounding the former home of City of Surrey staff and services currently are perfectly situated for a new health care facility.

In spite of a new tower opening that added 151 beds on June 1 and a new Emergency Department in operation since October 1, 2013, Surrey Memorial Hospital is still struggling with demand. The emergency room is now serving 10,000 patients a month, which is a 25 per cent increase from 2013.

The irresponsible decision made with regards to the old City Hall by the current mayor and Council can be mitigated by using the vacant lands as a means to secure a new hospital, says McCallum.

“We are growing far too fast to rely solely on overwhelmed facilities such as Surrey Memorial and Peach Arch,” says McCallum. “With the city-owned lands next to the old City Hall sitting vacant and unused, there is a real opportunity to begin substantial conversations with the provincial government for a new hospital.”

At 317 square kilometres, the City of Surrey is almost three times the size of Vancouver. The distance between Surrey Memorial to the North and Peace Arch to the South is 17 kilometres, which is increasingly dangerous for such 590,610 population that is spread out over such large geographic area.

The old City Hall site represents a location that is conveniently placed between the two existing facilities. Furthermore, with land costs often a major stumbling block to proceeding on constructing new hospitals, the City of Surrey can take a proactive approach to negotiating with the provincial government.

With 1,000 new residents moving to Surrey every month, adequate health care capacity is becoming a real concern for local neighbourhoods, says McCallum.

“I have heard this issue brought up by residents throughout this campaign, and so I think that it is important for the City of Surrey to do what it can to initiate a formal process with the BC government,” says McCallum. “$150 million might have been wasted on an unnecessary new City Hall, but we can bring a positive to this mistake by using the lands we own to secure a desperately needed new hospital for the City.”

B.C. EVENTS

7 November 2014

(These are FREE listings. Email: EditorVoice@gmail.com)

Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver

The Consulate General of India is scheduled to hold a consular camp at Ross Street Gurdwara Sahib, Vancouver, for signing ‘life certificates’ on Sunday, November 9.

Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen Family Cupcake Event

On November 8, in honor and celebration of Guru Nanak’s birthday, Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen (aka GNFK) introduces its annual cup cake event. People of all faiths and backgrounds are invited to bring their families and friends to Sukh Sagar Gurdwara, 347 Wood Street, New Westminster, from 3 to 6 p.m. to bake, decorate and pack hundreds of cup cakes and cookies for over 20 Lower Mainland shelters. If you would like to donate cake supplies or participate at this event, contact Event Coordinator Jas Kaur at 604-499-2027.

South Asian Arts Society

Stand Up! The Original Tandoori Kings of Comedy, featuring two phenomenally funny gents: Sunee Dhaliwal and Hollywood Harv. The extremely funny and talented Munish Sharma, of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken fame is the MC for the night and will kick off the show with his own unique brand of smart and yummy stand-up. Sharma will be followed by Clifford Prang: the “funny gora” as he likes to call himself, and then the lone female comedian of the night: award-winning comedienne Ash Dhawan. Vancity’s legendary party rocker DJ 151 from Decibel Entertainment will be in the house spinning some of the hottest Hip Hop, RnB, Bhangra and Bollywood tunes on the planet in between sets. On Saturday, November 8 at 8 p.m.(doors open at 7 p.m.) at Bell Performing Arts Centre, 6250 144 Street, Surrey. Tickets: $20 in advance (including service charges), $25 at door. Available at: www.bellperformingartscentre.com or Kamal’s Video Palace (Unit #103 – 8268 120th Street, Surrey). Restrictions: 18+. This show contains mature adult content. Show info: Call 778-706-6224, Email info@southasianarts.ca or visit www.southasianarts.ca.

Sikh Community’s Remembrance Day Ceremonies

Sunday, November 9 at 11 a.m. at Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, #115 12885 85 Avenue, Surrey. Rear Admiral W.S. Truelove, Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, will lead the Sikh community in a special Remembrance Day ceremony. He will be joined by Western Canada’s top soldiers, community leaders, politicians and other VIPs. Truelove will also lead the Sikh community to remember the sacrifice of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo who was standing ceremonial guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa when a gunman killed him and Patrice Vincent, a warrant officer, who died near Montreal when a man ran over him and a fellow soldier with a car. He will then address the Sikh congregation, join them for a communal lunch and be presented with a special sword marking the occasion and a donation to the Military Family

Resource Centre.

PICS Kids Club

Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) Society has launched the PICS Kids Club for students in grades K-12 who need a little extra help with their school work and studies. The tutoring sessions are $20/hour and they run every Wednesday between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. at PICS Society head office, 205-12725 80^th Avenue, Surrey. For more information, contact Sunita Dhaliwal at 604-596-7722, ext. 141.

Keeping Kids Safe in Vancouver

Dueck Downtown has made a commitment to families in Vancouver to help keep kids safe with the Safe and Sure Child Car Seat Installation Workshop Program. Chevrolet is working with Parachute, a Canadian charity dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives, to help educate parents and caregivers with hands-on instructions on car seat safety. The program offers free one-on-one workshops with a certified car seat technician who will teach families and caregivers how to use and install car seats in any vehicle so children are safe for every ride no matter the make or model of their vehicle. Appointment registration is mandatory and available in advance of this workshop at www.safeandsure.ca. Saturday, November 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dueck Downtown, 888 Terminal Avenue, Vancouver.

Financial Literacy Workshops

Surrey Libraries has partnered with Vancity and Credit Counselling Society to help you boost your financial skills and learn how to protect yourself against fraud. * Identity Theft & Fraud by Vancity: Guildford Library – Tuesday, November 18, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Register at 604-598-7366. Go to: www.surreylibraries.ca

Festival MOSAIC 2014

MOSAIC’s signature fundraising gala is on November 20 and features a cultural fusion of food and entertainment. The 5^th annual Festival MOSAIC will be an interactive evening of sight, sound and taste, and will be showcased at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre in Vancouver’s Yaletown district. The main act is Tanga, a Westcoast world fusion group who have released two albums featuring Latin, jazz and hip hop sounds with an electronic beat. Celebrated sitarist Mohamed Assani will perform Indian Classical as well as other genres and Michael Gabriel Rosen will perform Latin and Cuban dances, while encouraging and teaching guests to salsa and merengue. NuYu Theatre will also be onsite with participants demonstrating activities and playing interactive theatre games with guests. Also included in the program for the evening are CircusWest performers, an interactive art exhibit, live painting and Rangoli art. Tickets for the event are $65 and are now available online at mosaicbc.com. The ticket price includes dinner, which will be set up at various stations and will be themed around Asian, Indian and South / Central American cuisine. The Pacific Salmon Farmers Association will be providing salmon as the evening’s main entrée.

BC Liberals and MLA Suzanne Anton

2^nd Annual Proud of Our Cultures Fundraising Event. Order your tickets now. Event on Friday November 21, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Fraserview Banquet Hall, 8240 Fraser Street, Vancouver. The last date to purchase tickets is November 14.

Vancity and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Post-Secondary Education Fair

Saturday, November 22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free fair at 28 West Pender Street, Vancouver. Post-Secondary Education Institutions Exhibition and Seminars. Chinese, Korean and Punjabi translation available by reservation at 604-408-7260.

VIBC Annual General Meeting

On Thursday, November 27 come join in a celebration. At our AGM, we’ll treat you to a 10-year retrospective, elect some dynamic new members to the board, and kick off our 11^th year by reviewing our successes for 2014. A reception with food and wine will follow. Thursday, November 27 at 7 p.m. at Lecture Hall 2600, SFU Surrey, 13450 –102^nd Avenue. Reception at

8:30–9:30 p.m. in Classroom 2740, SFU Surrey.

Sai Birthday

All devotees are invited at the Hindu Cultural Society and Community Center of B.C. (3885 Albert Street, Burnaby) to participate in Lakhshacharan on Saturday, November 29 at 5 p.m. for Sai Birthday. Also being celebrated is 25 years of Lakhshacharan in Vancouver at VHP Temple. Program: 5:15-6:15 – Sai Bhajan / Kirtan; 6:30-7:15 p.m. – Sai Japa; 7:30 p.m. – Priti Bhojan. Contact: Rajubhai Parekh at 604-327- 8259, Vijaybhai Dayal at 604-986-5958; Kantibhai Patel at 604-522-7989, or VHP Temple at 604-299-5922.

Does your child need practice reading?

November-December: Sign them up for the Coast Capital Savings Reading Buddies program at Surrey Libraries. Your child can improve his / her reading skills in a safe and supportive environment over weekly after school meetings. Trained high school students offer their time and expertise by ‘buddying up’ with a child to read together and engage in fun literacy activities. Free. * Fleetwood Library: now — December 2 (Tuesdays). 4-5 p.m. (none November 11). Register at the Library or call 604-598-7351. * Guildford Library: now — November 25 (Tuesdays). 3:30-4:30 p.m. (none November 11). Register at the Library or call 604-598-7378. * Newton Library: now — November 25 (Tuesdays). 4:30-5:30 p.m. (none November 11). Register at the Library or call 604-598-7413. * Strawberry Hill Library: now — November 5 (Wednesdays). 3:30-4:30 p.m. Register at the Library or call 604-501-5844. * Cloverdale Library: now — November 26 (Wednesdays). 3:45-4:45 p.m. Register at the Library or call 604-598-7326. * City Centre Library: now — November 12 (Wednesdays). 3:45-4:45 p.m. Register at the Library or call 604-598-7437. * Semiahmoo Library: now — December 2 (Tuesdays). 3:45-4:45 p.m. (none November 11). Register at the Library or call 604-592-6913. Go to: http://www.surreylibraries.ca/4941.aspx

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