Volume 1 Issue 11 www.indookanagantimes.com April 5, 2014 ǧâ¯-Á½ÕéÅ×é àÅÂÆî÷ P Pu ub bl li ic ca at ti io on ns s M Ma ai il l A Ag gr re ee em me en nt t N No o. . 4 42 26 68 83 35 53 32 2 ñ¯Õ ÃíÅ Ú¯ä» ÓÚ Ô¯ò¶×Å ÇÂà òÅð Ú½Õ¯éÅ î°ÕÅìñÅ ÇçμñÆ ç¶ ÃÅìÕÅ î°μÖ î§åðÆ ÁðÇò§ç Õ¶ÜðÆòÅñ é¶ ÇçμñÆ çÅ î°μÖ î§åðÆ ìäÕ¶ ì¶ôμÕ D@ Ççé ÔÆ ÃðÕÅð ÚñÅÂÆ êð Õ¶ÜðÆòÅñ é¶ ÇÂÔé» D@ Ççé» ÇòμÚ À°Ô ÕðÕ¶ ÇçÖÅ ÇçμåŠܯ ç¶ô ÁÜÅç Ô¯ä 寺 ñË Õ¶ ÁμÜ åμÕ ñ§ìÅ Ãî» ðÅÜ Õðé òÅñÆÁ» ÃðÕÅð» òÆ éÅ Õð ÃÕÆÁ»Í À°Ãé¶ ÇÂÔé» Ççé» ÇòμÚ ÁÅî ÁÅçîÆ êÅðàÆ ç¶ Ú¯ä ÇéôÅé ÞÅóÈ éÅñ ÇÂà åð» ÇçñÆ çÆ ×§ç×Æ ÃÅë ÕðéÆ ô°ðÈ ÕÆåÆ ÇÕ ñ¯Õ ÔËðÅé ðÇÔ ×Â¶Í À°Ôé» ÁÅêä¶ ÁÃÈñ» çÆ ÖÅåð ÁÅêäÆ Õ°ðÃÆ éȧ Ûμâ ÇçμåÅ êð ÁÅêä¶ ÜîÆð éȧ Ç×ðé éÔƺ ÇçμåÅÍ ÇÂà ñÂÆ Õ¶ÜðÆòÅñ çÅ é» ÁμÜ Øð Øð ÇñÁÅ ÜÅ ÇðÔÅ ÔËÍ Ô°ä Ô¯ ðÔÆÁ» ñ¯Õ ÃíÅ çÆÁ» Ú¯ä» ÇòμÚ ñ¯Õ» éȧ ÇÂμÕ Ô¯ð ìçñ Çîñ Ç×ÁÅ ÔËÍ ÇÂà ñÂÆ ÇÂà òÅð çÆ ñ¯Õ ÃíÅ Ú¯ä ÇòμÚ êÈð¶ íÅðå ÇòμÚ Ú½Õ¯éÅ î°ÕÅìñÅ Ô¯ä ç¶ ÁÃÅð ìä ׶ ÔéÍ ñ¯Õ À°ê𯺠À°ê𯺠ì¶ôμÕ Ôð À°îÆçòÅð ç¶ éÅñ Ô¯ä çÅ ìÅÁçÅ Õð ðÔ¶ Ôé êð ç¶ô ç¶ ìÔ°å¶ éÅ×ÇðÕ» Á§çð ÇÕå¶ éÅ ÇÕå¶ ÁÅî ÁÅçîÆ êÅðàÆ (ÁðÇò§ç Õ¶ÜðÆòÅñ) çÆ ×μñ Úμñ ðÔÆ ÔËÍ ñ¯Õ ÁÅî ×μñ» Õðç¶ ç¶Ö¶ ׶ Ôé ÇÕ ÇÂà òÅð Ú¯ä» ÇòμÚ ñ¯Õ» éȧ ÁÅê ÞÅóÈ Ú°μÕ Õ¶ ÃÅð¶ ç¶ô ÇòÚñÆ ×§ç×Æ ÃÅë Õð ç¶äÆ ÚÅÔÆçÆ ÔËÍ ñ×çÅ ÔË ÇÕ ç¶ô çÅ éÅ×ÇðÕ Ô°ä ÕÅëÆ ÜÅ×ðÈÕ Ô¯ Ú°μÕÅ ÔË, À°Ô Ô°ä À°îÆçòÅð» òñ¯º îé ñ°íÅÀ°äÆÁ» ÚÅñ» ÇòμÚ ÁÅÀ°ä òÅñÅ éÔÆºÍ êzôÅôé òñ¯º òÆ ÇÂà òÅð ÃÔÆ À°îÆçòÅð ç¶ ÔμÕ ÇòμÚ ò¯à êÅÀ°ä ñÂÆ ñ¯Õ» éȧ ÜÅ×ðÈÕ ÕÆåÅ ÜÅ ÇðÔÅ ÔËÍ Ãî°Ú¶ ò¯àð» éȧ ÁÅêäÆ ò¯à ç¶ ÁÇèÕÅð éȧ òðåä ñÂÆ êzÚÅð ÕÆåÅ ÜÅ ÇðÔÅ ÔËÍ ÇÜμæ¶ êÇÔñ» ê§ÜÅì ÇòμÚ Çå§é î°μÖ êÅðàÆÁ» ôz¯îäÆ ÁÕÅñÆ çñ, Õ»×ðà Áå¶ ìÔ°Üé ÃîÅÜ êÅðàÆ ÇòÚÕÅð ÔÆ î°ÕÅìñÅ Ô§°çÅ ÃÆ Ô°ä À°Ôé» ÇòμÚ ÇÂμÕ Ú½æÆ êÅðàÆ ÁÅî ÁÅçîÆ êÅðàÆ (Õ¶ÜðÆòÅñ) òÆ ôÅîñ Ô¯ä ÜÅ ðÔÆ ÔËÍ î˺ ÁÅêä¶ ÔñÕ¶ ôzÆ ÁÅé§çê°ð ÃÅÇÔì çÆ ×μñ Õð» å» ÇÂ毺 Õ»×ðà êÅðàÆ çÆ À°îÆçòÅð ìÆìÆ Á§ÇìÕŠïéÆ (Ú¯ä ÇéôÅé Ôμæ), ôz¯îäÆ ÁÕÅñÆ çñ ç¶ êz¯ êz¶î ÇÃ§Ø Ú§çÈîÅÜðÅ (åμÕóÆ), ìÔ°Üé ÃîÅÜ êÅðàÆ ç¶ îôÔÈð ×ÅÇÂÕ Ã Õ¶ ÁËà îμÖä (ÔÅæÆ) Áå¶ ÁÅî ÁÅçîÆ êÅðàÆ ç¶ ÁËâò¯Õ¶à ÇÔ§îå ÇÃ§Ø ô¶ðÇ×μñ( ÞÅóÈ) î°μÖ å½ð å¶ Ú¯ä îËçÅé ÇòμÚ ÔéÍ ÇÂÔé» ÚÅð» ÇòμÚ ëÃò» î°ÕÅìñÅ Ô¯ä ç¶ ÁÃÅð ÔéÍ éåÆܶ AF îÂÆ éȧ ÁÅÀ°ä À°êð§å êåÅ ñ׶×Å ÇÕ ÇÜμå ÇÕÔç¶ ÇÔμö ÁÅÂÆÍ éÇð§çð îÅÔÆ Lok Sabha poll to witness four-cornered contest Although former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal led the Delhi Government for 40 days only, but what he achieved in these 40 days could not be achieved by the different governments which ruled the state for long tenures since country’s Independence. He started cleaning the dirt of Delhi during these days with “Broom”, the poll symbol of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which left the people spellbound. Not compromising with his principles, he left the Chief Ministership, but never let his con- science down. This is why Kejriwal is remem- bered in every home. The voter has got another alternative during the ongoing parlia- mentary elections. Therefore, the chances have developed for a four-cornered contest in this General Election in entire India. Maybe, the people are assuring all the candidates of their support, but the voters are surely dis- cussing the Aam Aadmi Party (Arvind Kejri- wal). People are seen saying that this time all the Indians should themselves wield “broom” and start cleaning the dirt in the entire country. It appears that the citizens have awakened and they will not be carried away by the false promises of the candidates. The administra- tion is also educating the voters to elect the right candidates. All the voters are being told to exercise their franchise. Earlier in Punjab, the contest used to be among the three main parties – Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party – but now the fourth party AAP is going to join them. If I talk about my constituency of Anandpur Sahib, Mrs Am- bika Soni of the Congress (poll symbol Hand), Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra of the Shiro- mani Akali Dal (Scales), known singer K.S. Makhan of the Bahujan Samaj Party (Ele- phant) and advocate Himmat Singh Shergill of the Aam Aadmi Party (Broom) are in the fray. There is the possibility of a close contest among these four candidates. However, the poll results on May 16 will tell who will be the winner. Narinder Mahi
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Volume 1 Issue 11 www.indookanagantimes.com April 5, 2014
Although former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwalled the Delhi Government for 40 days only, butwhat he achieved in these 40 days could notbe achieved by the different governmentswhich ruled the state for long tenures since
country’s Independence. He started cleaningthe dirt of Delhi during these days with“Broom”, the poll symbol of his Aam AadmiParty (AAP), which left the people spellbound.Not compromising with his principles, he leftthe Chief Ministership, but never let his con-science down. This is why Kejriwal is remem-bered in every home. The voter has gotanother alternative during the ongoing parlia-
mentary elections. Therefore, the chanceshave developed for a four-cornered contest inthis General Election in entire India. Maybe,the people are assuring all the candidates oftheir support, but the voters are surely dis-cussing the Aam Aadmi Party (Arvind Kejri-wal). People are seen saying that this time allthe Indians should themselves wield “broom”and start cleaning the dirt in the entire country.It appears that the citizens have awakenedand they will not be carried away by the falsepromises of the candidates. The administra-tion is also educating the voters to elect theright candidates. All the voters are being toldto exercise their franchise. Earlier in Punjab,the contest used to be among the three mainparties – Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress andBahujan Samaj Party – but now the fourthparty AAP is going to join them. If I talk aboutmy constituency of Anandpur Sahib, Mrs Am-bika Soni of the Congress (poll symbol Hand),Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra of the Shiro-mani Akali Dal (Scales), known singer K.S.Makhan of the Bahujan Samaj Party (Ele-phant) and advocate Himmat Singh Shergillof the Aam Aadmi Party (Broom) are in thefray. There is the possibility of a close contestamong these four candidates. However, thepoll results on May 16 will tell who will be thewinner.
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Will India swing hard right?An Indian election is a marathon, not asprint.The voting will start on April 7, but thevoting will move around the country onnine phases, ending on May 12.Thevotes will then be counted— there are814-million eligible voters — and theresults will be known on May 16.But, alot of people think they know the resultnow — NarendraModi of the BJP willbe prime minister and India will swinghard right.The BJP (Bharatiya JanataParty-Indian People’s Party) is a so-cially conservative, Hindu nationalistparty that has only had one full term innational office, from 1998 to2004.Then, it led a broad coalition thatrestrained its more extreme sectarianimpulses. Today, however, many In-dian observers claim to detect a “Modiwave” of support that might carry theBJP into power on its own.That would certainly make for inter-esting times.Modi is best known fortwo things — the remarkable eco-nomic growth and relative freedomfrom corruption of his home state ofGujarat and his alleged complicity inthe massacre of more than 1,000Muslims during religious riots shortlyafter he became chief minister of Gu-jarat in 2001.The prosperity of Gujarat
is obviously a political asset for him.The problem is his alleged religiousextremism is also an asset in the viewof some of his potential supporters.In-deed, that is probably why Modi hasnever expressed any regret or offeredany apologies for the riots, an omis-sion that many see as disqualifyinghim for high political office.Manmohan Singh, India’s prime min-ister for the last 10 years, said whenannouncing his retirement in January:“It would be disastrous for the countryto have NarendraModi as the nextprime minister. If, by a strong primeminister, they mean you preside overthe massacre of innocent citizens onthe streets…“I do not believe that is the sort ofstrength this country needs.”But, theruling Congress Party is weigheddown by corruption scandals andslowing economic growth and Con-gress’s candidate for prime minister isnone other than Rahul Gandhi, whosefather, grandmother and great-grand-father have all held the job in thepast.However, Rahul’s political ideasseem half-formed, his rhetoric strug-gles under the burden of words like“empowerment” and he is seriouslylacking in novelty value.
Hence the “Modiwave.”The BJPleads Congress bya wide margin inthe opinion polls,so pundits arespeculating on howa BJP governmentwould behave if itwere led by Modiand had no need ofcoalition part-ners.There is no
precedent for that. Before, the BJPgovernment was a complicated coali-tion led by Prime Minister Atal BihariVajpayee, a poet and intellectual ofmoderate views, and none of its moreextreme nationalist and Hindu posi-tions got translated into actual poli-cies.If it were different this time, Indiawould be moving into unknown watersand the possibilities would be asalarming as they would beextreme.But, that may just be Indianjournalists trying to inject a little moretension and excitement into the story.The reality is probably rather less ex-citing.Getting to 50 per cent of thevote is almost impossible for any po-litical party in the Indian political sys-tem because a good deal of the votealways goes to regional and local par-ties that are quite separate from thebig, national parties.It’s especiallyhard for the BJP because it’s hard toimagine any of the 13 per cent of Indi-ans who are Muslim would vote for theBJP.There are 39 parties in the currentparliament and there may be evenmore in the next one.Most of themwould be willing to join a coalition gov-ernment in return for concessions onwhatever local or regional issues theyor their voters care about, but they willalso have red lines that must not becrossed or they will leave the coali-tion.Assuming the outcome of theelection does leave the BJP as thebiggest party, but without an overallmajority, those red lines will probablyconfine Modi to relatively moderatepolicies on religious issues.If not, Indiais in for a wild ride and, at the end of it,the country may no longer be knownfor its tolerance. By Gwynne Dyer
Constable Kulgit Singh joined Oliver’sRCMP detachment on February 19. Therookie officer said he highlighted an inter-est to work in British Columbia as a poten-
tial division, with the Okanagan Valleybeing his “top pick.” Singh said he isthrilled to have been posted in the winecapital.“Oliver has a distinct small town,quaint community feel that is often dif-ficult to come across in larger metro-politan cities,” he said.“Not only is the town naturally beautifulbecause of the surrounding moun-tains, vistas, lakes, and parks, but alsoculturally rich because of the localwineries, festivals, and active commu-nity spirit. The people here are ex-tremely warm and welcoming.”Hailing originally from Etobicoke, On-tario, Singh later relocated to Waterlooto study at Wilfred Laurier University,where he successfully graduated witha Bachelor’s of Arts degree in crimi-nology and contemporary studies.Shortly after graduation he headed offto the RCMP division depot in Regina,Saskatchewan. He completed his
training in early February and was quicklyhired by the Oliver detachment.He said the desire to make a difference inpeople’s lives is what drove him to pursuea career with the RCMP.“As Canada’s national police force, theRCMP allows me to serve in communitiesacross the country while at the same timedevelop many specialized skills within ahands-on environment,” he explained. “Iam extremely honoured to be a part of the
RCMP. It is such an important part ofCanada’s legacy.” As far as what he is look-ing forward to the most about his new job,Singh said it is having the opportunity to in-teract with the community on a one-on-onebasis. He added, “It is truly fulfilling to lis-ten, understand, empathize, and assistsomeone in need. Each day is never thesame.”During his training at the depot, the newlyminted constable said he enjoyed learningthe importance of teamwork, collaboration,and interpersonal skills. “I had to learn howto build a rapport with each one of my troopmates in order to efficiently work throughany conflicts or differences to get the jobdone for the good of everyone,” he added.“It truly tests your abilities as a person anddrives you to dig deep and find the right so-lutions and make decisions under stressfulsituations.”As his career with the RCMP evolves,Singh hopes to become involved withinareas of national and international polic-ing such as anti-terrorism, immigration,peace operations, and human and drugtrafficking.He said he is also keen to work in areasof border control such as the Border In-tegrity Program, cross border crime, cus-toms and excise, as well as integratedborder enforcement.“My philosophy rests on the belief thatthe RCMP has to work together with thecommunity side by side to solve the con-temporary challenges faced in our soci-ety. It’s not just a job. It’s a way of life.”
Paul Gill from Paul's Greenhouses in Osoyoos relays sign reg-ulation concerns to Ministry of Transportation manager JeffWiseman during a public meeting in Oliver.
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There is a telephone/email scam happen-ing in our community that you need to beaware of.A person will call you and say they are fromthe CRA and that they reassessed your in-come tax return and you now owe money.The CRA never makes this type of phonecall. The fraudulent party will ask for SocialInsurance numbers and Drivers licensenumber.DO NOT GIVE OUT THIS INFORMA-TION!!!The CRA only has your Social Insurance
number on file.The fraudulent party will also try to makeyou go and purchase ‘Pay Power’ visacards. They may tell you that will go to jailif you do not comply.This is all a fraud. Please contact us if youreceive one of these calls.You can visit the RCMP websitefor fraud updates at: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/index-eng.htmYou can also visit the CRA website at:www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.caFrom: Teresa and Team H&R Block
Kelowna and Prince George have been se-lected as two of the six communities for anew provincial hate-crime awareness cam-paign.The B.C. government, in partnership withthe BC Hate Crimes Team and AbbotsfordCommunity Services, has launched theKnow Hate campaign and resource to raise
awareness about online hatecrime, Teresa Wat, Minister Re-sponsible for Multiculturalismannounced recently.“The Know Hate campaign andresource will help educate peo-ple about hate crime – how torecognize it and how to report it.As Canada’s most ethnically di-verse province, B.C. benefitsgreatly from its diverse popula-tion”, said Minister Wat.“Thereare still people who lack theopenness to accept different be-
liefs, backgrounds or lifestyle choices andthis sometimes lead to hate. Hate crimesare not acceptable.”This resource - available at www.Hate-CrimeBC.ca - provides information for thepublic about what constitutes a hate crime,reporting information and links to resourcesfor victims.A hate crime is defined as a criminal offencemotivated by hate towards an identifiable
group. According to Statistics Canada (2011report), the primary motive of over half (52per cent) of all incidents of hate crime inCanada is race or ethnicity. The second-highest motivation is religion (25 per cent).Manpreet Grewal, director of Multiculturaland Immigration Integration Services withAbbotsford Community Services said,“Hatehas always been a disease in our society,albeit in different forms, shapes and de-grees over the years. Its new face on the in-ternet can be dangerous and we arepleased to be a part of the process in rais-ing awareness and providing informationand online tools to combat it.”Communities in British Columbia are in-creasingly culturally, ethnically and linguisti-cally diverse with immigrants nowaccounting for approximately 27 per cent ofour population and an additional five percent comprised of indigenous Aboriginalpopulations.The purpose of EmbraceBC public educa-tion is to engage the public around issuesof racism, multiculturalism and inclusion andto facilitate awareness and understandingof the social, cultural, ethnic, linguistic andreligious diversity throughout British Colum-bia.
On behalf of my colleagues on Council, we join you in celebrating Vaisahki Day, the start of the Sikh calendar year.
We are proud of and grateful for the signi� cant contributions the Kamloops Sikh community has made, in all of the generous forms those contributions take.
Wishing all good health and prosperity. Enjoy the festivities of Vaisahki!
Peter MilobarMayor
Yours truly,
Rural business owners in Osoy-oos and Oliver fear the regionaldistrict’s crackdown on signagewill threaten their livelihoods.Officials got an earful recently dur-ing a public forum in Oliver, wherenumerous fruit growers spoke out.“These signs make our busi-nesses work. Without them mybusiness would be zero,” saidJames Moore, who runs a bedand breakfast and U-pick opera-tion. The regional district is work-ing with the Ministry ofTransportation to address the“proliferation” of signs along High-way 97 between Oliver and Osoy-oos. They are doing this bysending letters to individuals ad-vising them to remove their unau-thorized signs.Private signs are not permittedwithin the highway right-of-way,and the regional district prohibitspeople from erecting signs thatadvertise someone else’s busi-ness. (These are called third-partysigns.) Signs on private propertycan only advertise goods affiliatedwith that property.The regulationsonly allow one private sign perparcel, and it can’t exceed a max-imum height of three metres (10feet).Donna Butler, the regionaldistrict’s manager of developmentservices, said the main concernwith all of these signs is visualclutter and road safety.The Ministry of Transportationstates that too many signs alongthe highway cause driver distrac-
tion.According to Jeff Wiseman,the ministry’s operations managerfor the region, the Oliver/Osoyoosarea has the highest proliferationof signs in BC.Butler noted that a large numberof unauthorized signs are locatedwithin the highway right-of-way.She reported that staff counted243 signs from Road 1 south ofOliver to the US borderin Osoyoos. She noted80 per cent of thesesigns are unauthorized.Osoyoos businessowner Clint Hawes wasshocked to learn thatthe sign crackdownwas reportedly causedby fewer than 25 com-plaints from the public.Hawes argued that hehas a right to know whohas been complainingabout the proliferationof signs. But he wastold that this informa-tion is confidential.Hawes also wanted to know whythe ministry and regional districtare suddenly embarking on an en-forcement blitz. Why wasn’t thisdone before? Wiseman said theydid remove signs in 1988, butover time the issue became a lowpriority for the ministry and thesigns multiplied again “like rab-bits.” The third-party rule is creat-ing a lot of opposition frombusiness owners who argue thatthey need these signs to survive
financially.Greg Thorp from Riverside Gar-den Centre in Oliver said he relieson highway signage to stay inbusiness. “I need third-partysigns. Tell me, who will I let go be-cause jobs will be at stake?”Thorp commented it is becominga liability to own farmland thesedays because of increasing regu-
lations. Paul Gill, owner of Paul’sGreenhouses in Osoyoos, saidthe regulations in effect will hurthis business if he can’t advertiseon the highway. Gill pointed outthat he won’t remove his signsuntil the regional district settlesthe issue at the board level.Osoyoos orchardist RanbirKambowanted to know how the raegionaldistrict defines “distraction” as itrelates to signs on the highway.He also noted that not one person
at the meeting supported the signenforcement measure.Randy Toor of Desert Hills EstateWinery said they have a smallwindow of opportunity to cash inon business, so they need to at-tract people from the highway,and they need signs to do that.Pinder Dhaliwal, vice-president ofthe BC Fruit Growers’ Associa-tion, agreed, saying they onlyhave a short season (six months)to maximize business potential.Dhaliwal wasn’t convinced thatdriver distraction is an issue,noting that more accidentsoccur at Deadman’s Lake andVaseux Lake bluffs.Oliver orchardist D. Cacholasaid the government has noright to remove signs from hisproperty. “If you want roadsafety, look at Vaseux Lake.That’s where you need some-thing done, where people keepdying (in traffic accidents).” Ca-chola said the governmentshould be doing somethingabout Jim Pattison’s billboards.“You guys don’t bother him.”
Hawes suggested giving out per-mits for temporary signage duringthe selling season. In any event,the sign regulations need to bechanged, he pointed out. Themanager of Riverside GardenCentre said if they don’t havesigns, she will be out of a job.Moore said not one of his bed andbreakfast guests (in 13 years)have every complained aboutsign clutter on Highway 97.“They take home $2,000 to$3,000 in wines. That’s what signs
are all about – business.” Thorpurged the regional district to scrapthe existing bylaw and establish anew one to accommodate localbusinesses. JayAnast from Joe’sPlumbing and Heating said it ap-peared the regional district wasdiscriminating by only enforcingthe bylaw in one area along High-way 97.Area C director Allan Patton saidthey are doing one area at a time,noting the regional district willfocus its efforts north of Oliverafter finishing with Osoyoos.Heide Held from Hillside Orchardsasked why the regional district isonly targeting Highway 97 and notsigns on Black Sage Road.“That’s completely racist,” shesaid. Fred Steele, president of thefruit growers’ association, saidthey will send a submission to theregional district asking for a publichearing on the matter.Wiseman and regional district offi-cials informed the audience thatthey will not take any enforcementaction until the regional boardmakes a decision. Patton said it ispossible the board will amend theregulations and/or create a newbylaw.Area A director Mark Pen-dergraft said it appears thatchanges are needed. He notedthat enforcement letters have justgone out to rural Osoyoos resi-dents.“I’m sure my phone will startringing,” he said.After hearing nu-merous concerns about the cur-rent bylaw, Patton indicated thathe and Pendergraft will recom-mend that a public hearing beheld.
Local farmers cry foul over sign regulations
Local farmers gather in the Oliver CommunityCentre to discuss their concerns about the re-gional district's sign regulations and their
enforcement.Photo Lyonel Doherty
Indo-Okanagan Times Page 11April 5, 2014
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Have you ever met someone whoinspired you to be a better person?Well, Dalvir Nahal is just such aperson. Having been working withNahal by email for over a monthbut, only meeting in person for thefirst time recently, I was amazedwith her attitude and genuine desireto help the community she callshome.Born in India, the middle child offive, Nahal moved to Vernon withher family at the age of five.A Service BC employee, Nahal isalso a director on the board of theVernon Jubilee Hospital Founda-tion. A charitable society dedicatedto working with the community, theFoundation exits to enhance healthand patient care needs by raisingfunds in support of excellence inhealth care in the North Okanagan.She was also a member of theBuilding a Tower of Care campaignfrom 2008-2011. The campaignsuccessfully raised $7 million overthree years to furnish and equip thefirst five floors of Polson Tower atthe hospital. Nahal has been avoice for both the Indo-Canadiancommunity and the younger peopleon the campaign team as well asthe Board of Directors. Early on sherecognized that her role was to helpraise funds for local health care.In the spring of 2008, working withmembers of the North OkanaganPunjabi community, Nahal organ-ized the first of a number of cam-paigns which canvassedindividuals, families and businessesof the local Punjabi community forfinancial support for Vernon JubileeHospital (VJH).Also in 2008, “I learned of the op-portunity to do a room naming, so Iasked a few ladies from town tohelp me collect the money,” saidNahal. “Every winter for three yearswe knocked door to door asking formoney from the Sikh community. Ittook us three years but, we wereable to raise $26,000 and have aroom in the new Emergency De-partment, named the Sri GuruNanak Ji Room.”In 2011 at the age of 34misfortunestruck. She received a difficult mes-sage; she had breast cancer. Formost people it would have been atime to focus on their own health.Rather than let cancer defeat her,Nahal launched a crusade to de-liver a message about cancer to thecommunity at large and to success-fully raise $50,000 for the McMurty-Baerg Cancer Centre.Nahal stated, “Once the moneywas raised I was asked what kindof recognition I would like. I thoughtit would be appropriate to have asecond room named after GuruGobind Singh who not only was our10th Guru but, was known as a
fighter, as I was also battling myown battle at the time.“Humour is a part of who Nahal is.Throughout her trials and disap-pointments on her cancer journeyshe has used humour to share her
message of hope with others,” saidSue Beaudry, Director of Develop-ment with VJH. “She amazed par-ticipants at Wine Women andWoods in 2011 and at the JCI Hos-pital Gala in 2012 with her story.She was featured in aShaw Cable documen-tary where she can-didlyspoke about hercancer journey includingher double mastectomyand the many setbacksshe faced along theway,” said Beaudry.Last year, committed tothe needs of fellow pa-tientsshe organized the1st Annual BollywoodBang event. The planwas to raise funds whilebringing the Punjabi cul-ture to the greater Ver-non community. It was asold out event with$22,000 being raised.Funds raised the firstyear went to support theCancer Patient ComfortFund. Based on financialneed this fund pays foranti-nausea drugs forchemo patients; coverscosts of transportation ordaycare for young momswho have left their jobsto receive treatment orpays for parking whichadds up when someoneis attending hospital fortreatment on a dailybasis for weeks at atime.“VantageOne CreditUnion was proud to bethe title sponsor of thisunique fundraiser, saidGalina Labun, Marketing
Manager.“There are so manyworthwhile projects in our commu-nities, and we were honoured to bepart of this wonderful culturalevent.” Sold out for a second yearin a row, guests clothed in tradi-
tional Indian wear, enjoyed authen-tic Indian cuisine, music andentertainment.“This event is for everyone, nomatter what nationality, althoughthe first year there definitely were
more Indians, “said Nahal.“We ended up raising $42,000 for atotal of $64,000 in two years. SinceI joined the board, with the help ofthe Sikh community, I have beenable to raise over $141,000 forVJH. $50,000 of which was raisedwhile I was going through chemo. Ifeel so humbled to be Sikh and tobe a part of something so great.”One quarter of the net proceeds ofthis year’s Bollywood Bang eventwill continue to support the CancerPatient Comfort Fund while the re-maining three-quarters will help tocover the costs of a new DigitalMammography machine for VJH.Last year VJH Foundationlaunched the Take aPicture Cam-paign.The campaign will raise$428,200 for a Digital Mammogra-phy machine.Currently, the unit operates withanalogue technology which is rap-idly becoming obsolete. Finding re-placement parts for film systemtechnology is presenting challengesfor staff at the hospital. The Take aPicture Campaign will fund the pur-chase of a new digital mammogra-phy machine; radiologist’s andtechnologists’ workstations, soft-
ware and miscellaneous acces-sories. As well, it will fund the in-stallation and renovations requiredto house the new unit.When completed in the fall of 2014,the Digital Mammography machinewill mean better breast images andfewer call backs for women in theNorth Okanagan.When asked what she does in herspare time, she laughed. “I actuallyclean in my spare time. It’s how Irelax. I even tried to get a deal onDyson’s to hand out as partyfavours at my funeral if I didn’tmake it. I am such a clean freak,”she joked.“Actually, I have very little sparetime as I also am involved withUpper Room Mission and someother charities. When I do havetime, I love travelling. I try to do atleast three trips a year. Next year Ihave a trip planned in September tovisit the birth place of Guru NanakDev Ji”.“One of the principles of Sikhism ischarity and to give back,” Nahalsaid. “I am so grateful for my familyand their support but also the wholecommunity of Vernon and our won-derful sponsors. Without your helpand support this event would nothave been the success it was.”By Constance Roth
Working toward a better community for all
Pictured from left to right: Dalvir and her brother Ranvir Nahal, Co-Chairs of Bol-lywood Bang, are seen with Vantage One CEO, Glenn Benischek far right, and
Marketing Manager, Galina Labun Title Sponsors with Vantage One CreditUnion and Tom Nolan, Bronze Sponsor with Nolan’s Pharma save presenting a
cheque for $42,000 to Richard Finn, VP Vernon Jubilee Hospital FoundationBoard of Directors.
Two Doctors of Optometry who have ex-emplified a commitment to the professionof optometry were honoured by the B.C.Association of Optometrists (BCAO).
Dr. Manbir Randhawa, who practices inVancouver, was awarded the Optometristof the Year award and Dr. ShainulWaljee,of New Westminster, was the recipient ofthe Young Optometrist of the Year award.Passionate about children’s vision and eyehealth, Dr. Randhawa owns and operatesan independent clinic in Vancouver whichhas a strong focus on vision therapy. Dr.
Randhawa previously served on BCAO’sexecutive board and chaired the Associa-tion’s PR committee. Dr. Randhawa is ac-tively involved in the community, providing
eye health semi-nars to studentsand serving as amedia spokesper-son to educate thepublic on the im-portance of eyehealth. Previously,Dr. Randhawaserved as an asso-ciate professor atUBC Nursing andshe currentlyserves on theBoard for the Col-lege of Op-tometrists of BC.Recognized as anoutstanding mem-ber in practice forless than 10 years,Dr. Waljee leadsthe eight Doctors ofOptometry whopractice at FamilyEyecare Centre inNew Westminster.Dr. Waljee gradu-ated with distinction
from the School of Optometry at the Uni-versity of Waterloo, following which shecompleted a residency program in PrimaryEye Care and Ocular Disease at the IllinoisCollege of Optometry. Dr. Waljee dedicatesher time to the community through parenteducation seminars at local health units,and has participated in eye care missions inMexico, Tunisia and India.
Dr. Manbir Randhawa acceptingher award from Dr. PavanAvinashi,who nominated her for the award.
Indo-Okangan Times Page 13April 5, 2014
Immigration through family sponsorshipFamily sponsorship continues to be one ofthe most popular avenues for immigrationto Canada, with approximately 65,000 peo-ple obtaining permanent residency throughthis class every year. This program isbased on one of the founding objectives ofCanada’s immigration program: to see thatfamilies are reunited in Canada.Who is eligible for family sponsorship?The Canadian government allows citizensand permanent residents of Canada tosponsor certain family members in their im-migration to Canada. Family members eli-gible for sponsorship to Canada include thespouse and common-law partner of aCanadian citizen or permanent resident, adependent child of the sponsor and thesponsor’s parents.Can I sponsor extended family to cometo Canada?Sponsorship of extended family membersis generally not permitted. Only in excep-tional circumstances will a Canadian citizenor permanent resident be able to sponsoran extended family member such as abrother or sister, aunts or uncles, orcousins.What is the process for spousal spon-sorship?There are two different types of spousalsponsorship applications: an “in Canada”application and an “out of Canada” appli-cation. “In Canada” are for spouses thatare visiting Canada but do not have per-manent status. “Out of Canada” applica-tions are for spouses that are still livingabroad. The process for both applicationsis similar.First, the Canadian citizen or permanentresident must be approved as a sponsor.There are a variety of factors which areconsidered in approving a sponsor, includ-ing the sponsor’s commitment to providingbasic requirements to their spouse, includ-ing food, clothing and shelter.Second, the spouse must be approved asan applicant. Among the items required inan application spousal sponsorship, the ap-plicant will need to demonstrate that the re-lationship with the sponsor is genuine. It isvery important to provide proof of the rela-tionship, which can include photos, bank
statements and a marriage certificate.How long does a spousal sponsorshipapplication take to process?“In Canada” applications take longer, butthe applicant also has the benefit of receiv-ing a work permit while waiting for the ap-plication to be processed. Theseapplications can take 16 months or longerto process.“Out of Canada” applications can take lesstime, but depend on the visa office pro-cessing the application. Currently in NewDelhi, applications for spousal sponsorshipare taking approximately 13 months orlonger to process.I heard that the parental sponsorshipprogram was cancelled. Is this true?The parental sponsorship program wasnever cancelled. However, the Canadiangovernment suspended the program forseveral years to address backlogs in appli-cations. In January 2014, the governmentbegan accepting new applications underthis class, although this was limited to only5000 applications. This quota was filledvery quickly and the program is now closedagain for 2014. It is taking several years toprocess existing parental sponsorship ap-plications.Can I apply on my own?Yes, applicants and sponsors under thefamily class can apply on their own and itis not always necessary to include an im-migration professional. However, applica-tions for permanent residency are verycomplicated, and simple mistakes in theapplication process can lead to a rejectionor to significant delays. Many people re-ceive peace of mind in retaining a lawyer toassist in their permanent residency appli-cation. Immigration lawyers are trained ininterpreting legislation and have the expe-rience of preparing numerous family spon-sorship applications.
David Brown is an immigration lawyer withDoak Shirreff Lawyers in Kelowna, BritishColumbia. DoakShirreff’s immigrationteam regularly assists clients with a varietyof immigration applications, including fam-ily sponsorship, skilled workers, and workpermits.
Mother plans and son laughs – and gri-maces and sighs and argues – to put a twiston an old saying.
When Ravi, single and with no intention ofchanging his status in the near future,plans a trip to India, his mother starts plan-ning, too. Without letting him know, his par-ents meet him there, armed with detailsabout nice Indian girls they see as potentialbrides, as well as a newspaper ad pro-claiming his availability. Mother and son tellthe tale of what follows in a charming andhilarious generational debate on marriage,tradition and what it means to be family.Ravi promises that no matter what yourcultural background, everyone will relate tothe generational clash presented in ABrim-ful of Asha. “Everyone has a mother” saysRavi Jain, in explaining the appeal of hislatest work. Like a tray of warm samosas,A Brimful of Asha has been selling outacross the country each time a new batchis put out.And by the way, the show starts every nightwith mother and son serving warmsamosas to the audience as they arrive!Ravi and his mother Asha, who play them-selves, are bringing their real-life story of amother’s dream and a son’s desire to fol-low his own path to Western Canada The-atre’s Pavilion Theatre in Kamloops fromApril 10 to 26.“A Brimful of Asha is full to the brim withloving, personal admissions. It’s both a di-atribe against and a tribute to mothers (andtheir complaining sons).” - NOWMagazineTickets are available at Kamloops Live!Box Office – kamloopslive.ca – 250-374-5483.Asha and Ravi play themselves in A Brim-ful of Asha.
Holi 2014 a colourful eventMore than 250 studentsand community membersattended the TRUSU IndiaClub Holi – Festival ofColours celebration thisyear. The event was held inthe old gym, TRU, Kam-loops Saturday, March 15from noon until 3 pm.Holi is a Hindu religious fes-tival which has becomepopular with non-Hindus inmany parts of the world.The date varies from yearto year and is celebrated atthe approach of vernal
equinox, (full moon). Typi-cally in March, but some-times in February in theGregorian calendar.Holi signifies the victory ofgood over evil, as well asthe arrival of spring. Formany it is a day to meetothers, play, laugh, forgetand forgive.Authentic Indian food wasprovided by Spice OriginalTaste of India, of Kamloopssaid TRUSU India ClubPresident, DivyarajSisodia.Also in attendance was DJ
Aftershock who kept thecrowd grooving to Indianmusic.Sisodia wished to thank thisyear’s sponsors, TRUSU,CUEF, TRUWORLD, CIBC,Elite Overseas Immigration,Kami Cabs and City Furni-ture. “Without your supporthosting an event such ofthis would not be possible.Thank you for your gen-erosity,” said Sisodia.For more photos seehttps://www.facebook.com/IndoOkanaganTimes.
ë¯à¯ - ÇçòïðÅÜ ÇÃïâÆÁÅ Photo: Divyaraj Sisodia
Okanagan College hosts reading by critically acclaimed poet Renée Sarojini SaklikarThe tragedy of Air India Flight182 and its aftermath has leftmuch unresolved grief for thefamilies of the victims. All 329passengers—including 280Canadians—died in the 1985terrorist attack and then a bun-gled 20-year investigation re-sulted in the acquittal of theaccused. One of the peoplestruggling to make sense of itall is Vancouver-based poetRenée Sarojini Saklikar, wholost her aunt and uncle on thedoomed flight.Saklikar has re-cently written a long form docu-poem about the 82 childrenwho perished in the bombing,called “Children of Air India”.It’s a powerful and hauntingwork about the nature of per-sonal loss in the midst of publictrauma written in a lyrical poeticstyle called elegiac sequences.The work also referencesimagined details about the livesof the Air India dead, and ulti-mately acts as a tribute tothem.The reading was held atOkanagan College in KelownaThursday, March 27 at 7:30p.m. Saklikar read from Chil-dren of Air India and partici-pated in a discussion about thework and process she used to
create it.“I did not intend towrite about this subject—toopainful, too controversial. But,it called to me,” says Saklikar.
“Once I accepted the call, Ispent hours inside the archivewith incident and coroner’s re-ports, books, newspaper arti-cles, legal proceedings, inquiryreports, and family letters.That’s when the voices of thedead rose up—one either runsaway or responds,” she says.A lawyer by training (and mar-ried to B.C. NDP leader AdrianDix), Saklikar turned to writing
and poetry later in life and cur-rently writes thecanadaprojectblog, a life-long poem chronicleabout her life and all the placesshe’s lived, from India toCanada. “Children of Air India”is Saklikar’s first book and ithas been shortlisted for the2014 Dorothy Livesay PoetryPrize.Event organizer andOkanagan College EnglishProfessor Sean Johnston wasthrilled to have Saklikar partici-pate in a reading at the Col-lege.“We were lucky to have an ex-cerpt from “Children of AirIndia” appear in the English de-partment’s journal Ryga, AJournal of Provocations, beforeit was published as abook,”says Johnston.“What isamazing about this work is thatit combines the objectivity ofdocumentary with the heart oflyric poetry.”Saklikar was joined by retiredOkanagan College English pro-fessor and former RegionalDean John Lent. An accom-plished author of 10 books ofpoetry, fiction and non-fiction,Lent read selections from hisupcoming comedic novel, “TheKitchen Sessions”.
Vancouver poet Renée SarojiniSaklikar appeared at Okana-gan College’s Kelowna Cam-
pus on Mar. 27 for a reading ofher book “Children of Air
India”.
Indo-Okanagan Times Page 17April 5, 2013
ìŵñÆò°µâ èîÅÕÅ ÇÃñÇÃñ¶òÅð çÈܶ ÃÅñ ê¶ô ÕÆåÅ Ç×ÁÅ Bollywood Bang delivers for second year in a row
êÅÀ°ä éÅñ À°åÃÅÔå îÇÔîÅé ÍGuests at the second annual VantageOne Bolly-
wood Bang were thrilled at the opportunity to dressin traditional Indian clothing and participate in the
fundraising event.
×ËñÆéÅ ñìÈé, îÅðÕÆÇà§× îËé¶Üð-òËéà¶Üòé ÕzËÇâà ïÈÇéÁé é¶ÁÅêä¶ êåÆ âËÇéÁñ ñìÈé éÅñ éÅÚ î§Ú Óå¶ èîÅÕÅ Õðç¶ Ô¯Â¶ÍGalina Labun, Marketing Manager-VantageOne-Credit Union had a blast out on the dance floorwith her husband, Daniel Labun. VantageOne
Credit Union was the title sponsor for the secondannual Bollywood Bang event.
Õðç¶ Ô¯Â¶ÍMembers of the Surrey Folk Bhangra Club providedbreathtaking, authentically genuine experience full ofenergy for those in attendance at Bollywood Bang.
ðÔ¶ ÔéÍVernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster andhis wife Janice were delighted to be ableto attend the VantageOne Bollywood
Bang fundraiser in Vernon.
åÃòÆð ÇòÚ Öµì¶ å¯º õܶ, MAB@@ 寺 æ¯ó¶ ÇÜÔ¶ òµè ç¶ê°ðÃÕÅð ç¶ E@/E@ ç¶ À°êÕæŠܶåÈ ôËðÆ Áå¶ àËðÆ ìËñ¶Õ-îéÕ¶ ç¶ éÅñ, ÁËîÃÆ ç¶, ÇÃàÆ ëðéÆÚð ÃÅñîé ìz»Ú ç¶,ÃéÆ èÅñÆòÅñ Áå¶ ÃéàËðÅ ÕÃàî Ô¯îÃ ç¶ ðéòÆð éÅÔñÍPictured from left to right are MC’s Sunny Dhali-wal, of City Furniture, Salmon Arm and RanvirNahal of Sunterra Custom Homes, with SherriPage winner of the 50/50 prize of a little over
Aries (March 21-April 19):Have to face economic difficulties this month. Becareful in joint ventures. Increase in family anxiety.Less monetary gains even after a lot of struggle.Chances of contacts with highly placed people.
Taurus (April 20-May 20):Less profits despite hard work. Expenses to in-crease. Chances of poor health, fruitless runningabout, and mental and hidden tension. Oppo-nents may try to harm you.
Gemini (May 21-June 20):Chances of sources of income for livelihood de-spite difficulties. Sadness because of family prob-lems. Business to remain ordinary. Anxiety aboutoffspring to continue. Possibility of expenses onconveyance. Need to be cautious against oppo-nents.
Cancer (June 21-July 22):Have to face fluctuation in business. A suddenmonetary benefit is expected. Physical fatique be-cause of a lot of running about. Don’t engage your-self in useless arguments, otherwise ongoing workmay get affected.
Leo (July 23-August 22):Less comfort and more running about. Expenseson fruitless activity. Poor health may affect your
work. Opponents will be active. Students shoulddo their work themselves and not to trust anybodyelse.
Õ§ÇéÁÅ: (Á×Ãå BC-Ãå§ìð BB)ð°ÕÅòà» ç¶ ìÅòÜÈç ×°÷Åð¶ ï¯× ÁÅîçé ç¶ ÃÅèé ìäé׶ÍÕÅð¯ìÅðÆ À°ñÞä» òèä×ÆÁ»Í îÅåÅ ÇêåÅ çÆ îµçç éÅñÖÅà ñÅí Ô¯ò¶×ÅÍ Çòç¶ôÆ Çðôå¶çÅð 寺 è§é ñÅí Áå¶ Ã°ÖçÃÈÚéÅ Çîñ¶×ÆÍ ÃòÅðÆ ÁÅÇç ÃÅèé» å¶ è§é ÖðÚ ÇÜÁÅçÅÔ¯ò¶×ÅÍVirgo (August 23-September 22):Monetary gains for livelihood to be in place despite
i m p e d i m e n t s .Chances of
distur-
bancesin business
activity. Some spe-cial benefits with the help of parents. Monetrarybenefit and good news from foreign relatives arepossible. More expenditure on means of con-veyance and children.
Libra (September 23-October 22):Chances of monetary gains for livelihood despitestruggle. You may think of change in business. In-come will decrease and wasteful expenses will in-crease. Profitable ventures to witness obstacles.Chances of dispute in dealing with others.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21):More expenses than income to cause restlessnessand anxiety. Someone close to you may deceityou. Chances of more expenses on entertainmentand luxury. Some spoilt work may be back on therails with the help of certain persons.
Sagittarius (November22-December 21):Some spoilt work may witness improvement.Chances of profit and progress. Enhancement infamily happiness. You may get bad name evenafter doing welfare activity. Pay attention to health.Business activity to remain medium.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19):Possibility of difference of opinion with close rela-tives and friends. Business to witness ups anddowns and struggle. Increase in sources of in-come, and expeness to increase in religious activ-ity of the family.
Õ°§í: (ÜéòðÆ B@-ëðòðÆ AH)ÇÕö ÖÅà ֶåð ÇòµÚ î°ôÇÕñ ÔÅñÅå» çÅ ÃÅÔîäÅ ÕðéÅêò¶×ÅÍ ÃÖå ÇîÔéå éÅñ îé¯ìñ òè¶×ÅÍîÅä ǵÜå ÇòµÚòÅèÅ Áå¶ è§é êzÅêåÆ ç¶ î½Õ¶ Çîñä×¶Í êÇðòÅð ÇòµÚ ÇÕöÇêÁÅð¶ Çîµåð ç¶ Ã§êðÕ éÅñ éòƺ ÇçôÅ ÇòµÚ ÕÅðÜ ç¶ ï¯×ÔéÍAquarius (January 20-February 18):Have to face some difficult circumstances in somespecial areas. Hard work to boost morale. Increasein respect and opportunities of monetary gains.Chances of work activity in a new field with thehelp of some near and dear one in the family.
Pisces (February 19-March 20):Ongoing projects to face obstacles. Chances ofmental tension and family problems. You may plannew projects and get benefits with the help ofsome highly placed person. Students need to workhard in studies.