A South Asian has been charged with murdering her neighbour in south Ottawa.
Gurpreet Ronald, 34, accused of killing Jagtar Gill, 43, in the latter’s living room in January this year, was arrested and charged Tuesday, Ottawa Citizen reported Wednesday.
The accused and the victim were neighbours.
Ronald was employed in OC Transpo, an urban transit service of the City of Ottawa, the same place where Gill’s husband Bhupinderpal worked as a bus driver.
Gill was found dead by her husband and teenage daughter, Dilpreet, when they returned home after shopping for her 17th wedding anniversary.
The killing had shocked the Sikh community in the city, who attended the woman’s funeral in large numbers.
Balraj Dhillon, president of the Ottawa Sikh Society, expressed concern over the brutal murder.
He hoped that the arrest will help the family achieve some closure, the report said.
Gill’s brother-in-law Kulwinder Sidhu felt relieved that someone has been arrested by the police in connection with the case.
“I do not know what will happen. I will be emotional. I cannot think how someone can kill someone. For what? That is what I want to know,” the Daily cited Sidhu as saying.
Sidhu said he had never heard of his sister-in-law having a problem with anyone.
Sources in the police said the motive for the murder was not yet clear. (IANS)
WALT Disney Studios Canada are holding advance screenings of their upcoming film, Million Dollar Arm, throughout the Vancouver area. Million Dollar Arm stars Jon Hamm, who plays a sports agent that travels to India, hoping to find the country’s best young cricket players, to provide an opportunity of a lifetime to – travel to America, train to become professional baseball pitchers, and ultimately get signed to an MBA team. As you can imagine, JB feels completely out of place in India, as do the two young cricketers, Rinku and Dinesh, when they leave their tiny villages and arrive in America.
Million Dollar Arm is actually based on a true story and it’s incredibly heart-warming, funny and touching. It also stars Aasif Mandvi, Suraj Sharma from Life of Pi, and Madhur Mittal from Slumdog Millionaire.
We are offering some free tickets to the movie for the screening in Surrey on Thursday, April 17 at Strawberry Hills at 7 p.m.
It’s on a first-come-first-serve basis, starting 9 a.m. on Monday (April 14). Each person gets a pass for two – you must have ID with your address as only one pass for two will be given for each address. Drop in at our office at #102-9360 – 120 Street, Surrey.
There will also be a screening in Burnaby on Thursday, May 1 at Silver City Metropolis at 7 p.m.
THE Surrey Board of Trade this week announced the honorary director appointment of Arvinder Singh Bubber to its Board of Directors for 2014-2015. Bubber will assist with special projects and provide advice on the Surrey Board of Trade’s advocacy initiatives and position papers. The Surrey Board of Trade, in accordance with their bylaws, can appoint up to two directors to their board.
“I am pleased and honored that the Surrey Board of Trade has provided me an Honorary Director’s appointment. I look forward to working together with them in building an economically stronger Surrey, locally and internationally,” said Bubber.
Most recently Kevin Falcon was also appointed as an honorary director.
Previous Surrey Board of Trade honorary directors include Wally Oppal, Jock Finlayson and Michael Levy.
Bubber is curently serving as Chancellor of Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Member of SFU’s India Advisory Council, SFU. He was the winner of the 2010 Surrey Business Person of the Year. Past board associations: vice chair, Asia Pacific Trade Council, Government of BC; director, Fraser Health Authority; chair, board of governors, Kwantlen University College; and member finance and audit committee, Kwantlen University College.
He has mentored several others in the business world, participated in numerous fundraisers, and guided young people through the Junior Achievement Foundation of British Columbia. As the founding president of SPARK Education Foundation, he continually donates his talents to raise funds to promote academic achievement by helping students who are challenged economically or culturally to remain in high school and attain their dream of a post-secondary education.
THE Mother Language Lovers of the World Society (MLLWS) in collaboration with other literary and linguistic associations organized the International Mother Language Day (IMLD) on April 6 at Surrey Art Center.
UNESCO adopted a resolution in November 19, 1999, in which February 21 was declared as the International Mother Language Day, to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity. The UN General Assembly in its resolution established 2008 as an International Year of Language.
This date was picked up on the basis of historical event that occurred in Dhaka, Bangladesh, when students of Dhaka University and Medical College raised their voices and held a march to get the Bengali language accepted as one of the national languages of Pakistan. A number of young students were shot dead. Dr. Rafiqul Islam of Greater Vancouver, the founder of MLLWS, was one of those who participated in the march and later joined the “Mukti Vahini” (Liberation Army) to make Bangladesh a free nation.
Dr. Sanzida Habib and Amlan Das Gupta welcomed the guests. There was an opening prayer by Dano Dhorne Kwa-Liquinam from the Kwantlen First Nations community followed by the speech of chief guest June Laitar, Director of FRAFCA, who expressed her concerns about not enough being done to preserve native languages.
President Aminul Islam Mowla said, “Languages are most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage.”
Dance items were presented by young Bengali girls and a Filipino group.
Speeches, included a homage paid to Dr. Rafiqul Islam, were given by Acharya S. Dwivedi, Abdul Salam, Shreshtha, J. Hakizimana, Dr. S. A. Tulu and Duke Ashrafuzzaman.
THE Conservative government’s “rampant mismanagement” of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program prompted NDP Employment and Social Development Critic Jinny Sims (Newton-North Delta) to ask for an emergency debate in Parliament on Tuesday.
“Conservatives keep making excuses, tinkering with administrative details and pretending to crack down,” said Sims. “But they aren’t protecting Canadian jobs. Abuse of the program continues, and this government is allowing it.”
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is supposed to help fill temporary skills shortages in highly specialized areas, or plug short-term labour gaps, such as those in the agricultural sector. But the Conservative government has badly mismanaged it, said Sims. Most recently, they allowed three McDonald’s restaurants in Victoria, B.C., to use the program to hire dozens of temporary foreign workers. At a time when the country’s youth unemployment rate is in the double digits, Canadians are outraged.
“Obviously, the Conservatives are failing to manage this program, and as a result, they are failing Canadians,” said NDP Deputy Critic for Employment and Social Development, Sadia Groguhe.
Despite Sims’ argument that ongoing misuses of the program demonstrate that it is in a state of crisis, the Speaker rejected her request for an emergency debate, saying he does not feel it is an urgent issue.
THE officers of Ontario’s Peel Regional Police, Division 21 “F” Platoon, participated in their annual Cram-A-Cruiser for Vaisakhi, collecting over 2100 lbs of food for the Seva Food Bank’s Malton location.
Held on Sunday, April 5, volunteering officers asked community members to help them ‘cram’ a police cruiser with non-perishable items. Seva received three cruisers full of food delivered throughout the day amounting to more than 2100 lbs.
Organizer Sergeant Bob Nagra volunteers his time to do this event three times a year. “I wanted to do this not only for the whole community but to get involved with my own Sikh community. It is hard to express it but it’s nice to show how we are great contributors to the overall make up of society,” said Nagra.
Other officers who assisted by volunteering their time were Constables Cleland, Ivkovic, Klair, Khatra and Delmar. The event took place in front of a Sobey’s grocery store and was supported by store manager Bali Singh. Officers and volunteers also enjoyed fresh made Punjabi snacks throughout the day thanks to the staff from Pappu’s Sweets who volunteered their own time during the event.
Seva will also be coordinating the delivery of half the food collected by the Peel Police Officers to Open Door Square One. “Seva Food Bank is always looking to partner with other community groups and organizations that are doing great work against poverty and hunger reduction. When we partner up like we did with Sgt Bob and his team, then great things happen just like this,” said board of directors’ member Harb Kahlon.
Seva volunteers Manjeet Singh and Barjinderpal Singh assisted throughout the day collecting and sorting the 2100 lbs of food at the warehouse. Spending a day with the police officers gave some of the seniors volunteers who are interested in a career in the police force a great opportunity to work with and spend time with the officers and ask questions.
The Seva Food Bank provides safe, nutritious and culturally-appropriate food to low- income families living in Mississauga’s L5B, L5C, L4V, L5S, L4T, L5T, and L5P postal codes through our Wolfedale Road and Slough Street, Malton locations. An initiative of Sikhs Serving Canada, a registered charitable not-for-profit organization, their mission is to positively impact local communities by acting on the basic Sikh tenets of sarbat da bhalla (the well being of all) and seva (selfless service).
THE Beacon of Hope for Afghan Children Society is a non-profit, non-political, Canadian charity created and operated by volunteers in British Columbia. The society has been in operation since 2006 and in 2007, they were formally registered with the BC Ministry of Finance. In 2009, they were granted charitable status by the Charities Directorate of Canada Revenue Agency.
The Beacon of Hope for Afghan Children Society’s mission is to provide Afghan children greater access to health care and basic education. You can visit their website at www.BeaconofHopeSociety.org.
At this time, they are raising funds to upgrade the operating and recovery rooms at the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. In addition, they are planning to build five classrooms in their existing school, Behzadi, to accommodate the growing female students, who usually study inside tents due to lack of classrooms.
The cost of the above two projects is approximately $35,000. The upgrading of the operating and recovery rooms will significantly enhance the ability of the hospital to provide the appropriate treatment for Afghan children faced with serious medical issues as it will result in better and more comprehensive treatment. This will result in saving the lives of many children who would not otherwise have access to this basic level of medical care.
The additional classrooms will translate into safer and appropriate learning environment for female students, who, otherwise, as stated above study inside tents despite severe weather conditions. They believe that having a safe and secure environment is conducive of greater learning and better access to education for girls.
Please contact Deena Safi, co-founder and member of the society at 604-340-9007 if you are able to provide any amount of financial support. You can send the society a cheque, pay via Pay-Pal through their website or make a direct deposit to the society’s bank account:
RBC: 01050-1012202
RB: 84764 7617 RR0001
Your donation will be honoured with a tax deductible receipt.
UNLIKE most of Canada, spring has sprung in the Lower Mainland and that’s something to celebrate! It’s snowing cherry blossoms all over our streets and boulevards; it’s an amazing sight that I look forward to each spring.
Every year when the temperatures warm up and daylight increases, more pedestrians are out on our roads. Spring is also the start of seasonal outdoor events and activities like the upcoming Vaisakhi parades in Vancouver on April 12 and Surrey on April 19. Attendance is estimated at 80,000 in Vancouver and upwards of 200,000 in Surrey. That’s a lot of pedestrian traffic!
For these reasons, drivers need to be prepared to share the road with more pedestrians at this time of year. As a driver, you should always be watching for pedestrians but especially at intersections and transit locations. Give yourself plenty of space to stop in case a pedestrian suddenly crosses the street. Unfortunately, a pedestrian is much more vulnerable to being hurt or killed in a crash.
In fact, on average, 588 pedestrians are injured in crashes every year in Vancouver and 287 are injured in Surrey.
As a pedestrian, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe. Being safe means being visible to drivers: always make eye contact with drivers and wear bright clothing or reflective gear at night or whenever visibility is poor. It also comes down to making smart choices when you’re crossing the street: use designated crossing points and follow pedestrian traffic signs and signals. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road facing traffic.
If you’re ready to celebrate spring, get out and join the crowds at Vaisakhi. For the first time, ICBC will be at the parades with OMNI TV, handing out pedestrian reflectors and safety tips to help you stay safe. I hope to see you there!
Regardless, enjoy your spring-time activities and please keep your full attention on the road whether you’re walking or driving.
VAISAKHI for the Sikhs is not merely a routine ritual, rather it is an immensely soul-stirring memoir of the self-sacrificing saint-soldier Khalsa created by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It was on this day that Guru Gobind Singh baptized (initiated) the Sikhs for the first time through a specially organized initiation ceremony at Anandpur Sahib in 1699. Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is so called because it falls on the 1st day of the month of Vaisakh (April 13) of the Bikrami Calendar in India. Vaisakhi is also celebrated by other communities of India in different ways having different significance.
The creation of Khalsa is quite an astonishing and revolutionary act which infused a spirit of selfless service and self-sacrifice in the Sikhs. Herein I give a brief account of this great day. It was at a specially arranged huge gathering that Guru Gobind Singh appeared on the stage with a glittering three-foot sword in hand. Very ferociously he gave a call to test his sword. Is there anyone who can offer his head to me? One by one, five devotees offered to die for the Guru who was fighting against the oppression and injustice of the then-fanatic rulers of India. But the Guru did not kill them, rather he baptized them by making them drink Amrit (Nectar) specially prepared for the event and named them “Khalsa.”
It is appropriate to say a few words about a Sikh and a Khalsa. A person who follows the teachings of the 10 Sikh Gurus, Sikh Scripture and the Sikh code of Conduct is a Sikh. But when he is initiated, he becomes a Khalsa (pure one) who must follow the prescribed code of conduct which includes keeping with him five articles of faith. They are: (1) Kes (unshorn hair), (2) Kirpan (sword), (3) Kachhehra (underwear), (4) Kanga (wooden comb) and (5) Kara (steel bracelet). Also, he will not dishonor hair, engage in adultery or use tobacco and intoxicants. The Khalsa was to use the suffix of Singh (Lion) or Kaur (Princess) with their names. The same tradition is prevalent to this day.
The significance of this code of conduct has been amply established by the fact that Khalsa is really a universal man of pure conduct who believes in oneness of God and oneness of human race and can never be deterred from doing good deeds while fighting against injustice for the well-being of the entire human race. It does not matter if he has to sacrifice his life in the process as he believes that he has already given his life to his Guru at the time of initiation. It should be kept in mind that generally the term Sikh, Singh, Khalsa or Panth is used for all the Sikhs.
It is also praiseworthy that the Sikhs amply displayed their death-defying spirit while fighting against the foreign invaders like Ahmad Shah Abdali and others from the northwest, making sacrifices for India’s independence movement or anywhere else. It is a known fact that in the Indian independence movement, out of 121 persons hanged, 93 were Sikhs; out of 2,646 sent to Kale Pani (Andaman Islands) for life imprisonment, 2,147 were Sikhs; out of 42,000 Indian National Army soldiers, 28,000 were Sikhs; in the Gaddar Party, 90% were Sikhs, and so on. It is also imperative to mention that the creation of saint-soldier Khalsa was quite in accordance with the self-sacrificing concept of Guru Nanak (1469), the founder of the Sikh religion, who said, “Jau Tau Prem Khelan Ka Chao, Sir, Dhar Tali Gali Meri Aao” (If you want to play the game of love, come to me placing your head on your palm).
Therefore, in accordance with the principles of Sikhism, the true significance of celebrating Vaisakhi lies in love, exterminating hatred, hypocrisy, and exploitation in the name of religion. Guru Gobind Singh says: “Saach kahon sun lei sabhai jin prem kio tin hi pravh paeo.” (I say the truth. Listen to me all of you. It is only through love that you can obtain God.) About the religious hypocrites and imposters, Guru Gobind Singh emphatically declares, “Rehat piari moh ko Sikh piara nah”. (The Code of Conduct is dear to me, not a Sikh who does not follow the Sikh discipline.)
Therefore, the dire need of the times is to adopt more effective measures to spread the message of love, harmony and equality of human race as ordained by Guru Gobind Singh all over the world. The real achievement of the Vaisakhi celebration lies in effectively spreading its universal message and not in lavishly spending money on certain meaningless rituals.
It is to be kept in mind that Guru Gobind Singh’s message of love, oneness of human race and never to refrain from doing good deeds is not for the Sikhs only, rather it is for all religions and all people treating them as the children of one God. It is wonderful that the United Nations Organization too resolved on October 20, 2010, to celebrate the first week of February every year as the “World Interfaith Harmony Week” to seek peace and harmony all over the world. In this context it may nicely be deduced that Guru Gobind Singh’s message of universal love and respecting all faiths may prove very effective in promoting peace and interfaith harmony in Canada and elsewhere in the strife-torn world of today.
BY GIAN SINGH KOTLI
(Gian Singh Kotli is a Punjabi poet and inter-faith activist.)
SIKH Heritage Month is celebrated to honour the culture and way of life of Sikhs. This is celebrated throughout the month of April in Ontario for people to appreciate what Sikhs have contributed to the world and the accomplishments that they have made throughout history.
Sikh culture has become what it is today because of their significant contributions to the community worldwide which happens to be quite a remarkable list. The Prime Minister of India is a highly educated Sikh. Being a Sikh in India can be tough, especially in politics, but Manmohan Singh is leading the Indian nation.
Another Sikh who has brought Sikhism more fame is Fauja Singh – an inspiration to many in the world as he has accomplished a great feat at the age of 101: in a marathon in Hong Kong, he ran 10 km and is the record holder in his age bracket.
Youth can always become more involved in April by raising awareness in their schools about Sikh Heritage Month. They can talk about various facts about Sikhism and how it has evolved into what it is today through various methods. Youth can even host a Bhangra dance event involving the whole school so that students and staff can experience our culture through this.
People need to know about Sikhism because there is a large presence of Sikhs in Canada. They can spread the message through various social media sources such as facebook, vine, whatsapp, twitter, ask.fm, pinterest, instagram, photo bucket and linkedin.
Sikhism is not just a culture, but also a way of life and you don’t have to be Sikh to experience this way of life.
BY HARNOOR GILL
Grade 10 student
Christ The King Catholic Secondary
Georgetown, Ontario
A South Asian has been charged with murdering her neighbour in south Ottawa.
