Issuu

VOL 25 - ISSUE 36

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

TEL: 604-591-5423

PRICES VALID BETWEEN OCT 16 - 22, 2025. AVAILABLE AT SELECT LOCATIONS ONLY.

HAPPY DIWALI!

NANAK PANEER 341 g selected varieties SURAJ NAAN 5PK selected varieties

KURKURE SNACKS 115 g selected varieties

wn ts Dental Cro

Dental Implan

Ceramic Crowns Bridges es Sem-Clear Brac es ac Br d Spee Invisalign ry General Dentist s tic on od th Or Implants ning Cosmetic White

en Braces Treatm Providing Fast

TATION FREE CONSUL

, Dr. R. Sidhu titioner

General Dental Prac

DDS

604 543 5060

y 0th Street, Surre

www.theasianstar.com

#215 - 7110, 12

VOL 25 - ISSUE 36

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

The Truth behind India’s hunger: Abundance doesn’t mean food security On September 29, the world observed the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste – a reminder that food security is not just about how much we grow, but how much we save. For India, this message is particularly urgent. We are a food-surplus nation, producing record quantities of grains, fruits and vegetables each year. Yet millions of Indians still cannot access a nutritious diet, and the country consistently ranks poorly on the Global Hunger Index. The paradox of overflowing granaries alongside empty stomachs is not a story of inadequate production. It is a story of losses and leakages in the food system, where crops are squandered in fields, along roadsides, and in warehouses before they

reach a plate. We now grow enough to feed our population, but much of this food never reaches the people who need it most. Globally, discussions around food often focus on consumer-level waste: oversized portions, half-eaten plates in restaurants and homes, or discarded supermarket produce. Continued on Page 14...

TEL: 604-591-5423

Housing affordability improving across Canada, but Vancouver remains least affordable: report

Housing affordability is improving across Canada, including in B.C., but the Vancouver area remains the least-affordable market, according to a report from RBC, Canada’s largest bank. Continued on Page 7...

Gaba Tire

ALL TIRES AVAILABLE (AS, AT MT & SEMI TRUCK)

Industry experts sound the alarm as 2,500 units sit vacant in Vancouver

A number of real estate experts see a rumbling storm on the horizon for Vancouver’s condo market, one that's been brewing since 2022. According to the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC), around 2,500 condos are sitting vacant in Metro Vancouver, double the amount from a year ago. Why? A flurry of reasons have been suggested by those in the know. Anne McMullin, president and CEO of Urban Development Institute, told CBC News (1) that residents are moving in as condos cost more to build than nearly 80% of Metro Vancouver residents can afford. Developers on the other hand, are in a pinch — they don’t want to lose money on a condo sale, but also can’t sit with a vacant unit either. As a result, McMullin revealed how some developers have been giving consumers their deposits back because they aren’t meeting presale targets. Continued on Page 7...

US may be ready for a trade deal with India now The United States appears ready to fast‑track a bilateral trade deal with India, driven by the need to diversify supply chains away from China and secure access to critical inputs.

According to GTRI director Ajay Srivastava, tightening Chinese controls on rare‑earth exports and an intensifying US–China trade conflict have “forced Washington to rethink its strategy with allies as it seeks reliable partners to build alternative supply chains.” He added that this shift “could accelerate a trade deal with India, with the US likely offering 16–18% tariff access-higher than the 15% for the EU and Japan but below the 20% for Vietnam.” A swift agreement would help unwind recently imposed US tariffs-up to 50%-that have squeezed Indian exporters. Continued on Page 16...

3rd shooting at Kapil Sharma's Cafe

Surrey's surge in extortion-related violence 'a national crisis' The café is one of several businesses targeted in a wave of extortion-related violence in Surrey. Police say more than half of the 65 extortion cases reported in the city in 2025 have involved shootings. Seven charges have been laid. A former top business leader says she’s watched as the crimes have escalated in the past two years, which she calls “a national crisis” with economic and public safety implications. “It’s absolutely unacceptable,” said Anita Huberman, who served as CEO of the Surrey

Board of Trade for close to three decades before stepping down last year. “It’s not a matter of giving up because it’s an internationally connected crime. It’s about making it a priority for the federal government.” As more cases were reported, Huberman said business owners began to report a decline in walkin customers and the dire effects on local spending and job stability. A separate attack early Sunday marked the first time someone has been injured in such an attack. Continued on Page 14...

WHOLESALE TIRES Installation Available

ABBOTSFORD

31324 - 107 Peardonville Rd 604-897-3235 604-746-4222

KAMLOOPS

133 Wilson Street 250-572-5444

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Happy

Diwali

& Bandi ChHor Diwas

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Wishing Everyone

& Bandi Chhor Diwas

Lakhvinder Gill

Puneet Sandhar

Anoop Sihra

Ravi Cheema

Kuldip Gill

Jatinder Sandhar

Ken Dhillon

Victor Lall

President

Vice President

2nd Vice President

Treasure

Past President

Ruby Bains

Supreet Gill

Amrit Deol

Arvinder Sodhi

Dilbagh S Mann

Bawa Kehal

Vishu Dhiri

Harbhajan Parhar

Joint Secretary

Secretary

Director

Jagdeep Gill

Arvinder S. Bubber

Dimpu Thandi

Dr. C. Preet Chahal

Dr Jaspinder Ghuman

Perminder Chohan

Simrath Grewal

Waris Purewal

Director

Bringing Together The Very Best of South Asian Businesses Within British Columbia

sababc.ca Gurjinder Bhurji

Sahaj Monga

Amar Sohal

Narinderjeet S Sabharwal

Khushpal Singh Taunk

Maghar Singh Dhaliwal

Late Balwinder S. Chahal

Director

Founding President, SABA

Founding Member

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

South Asian Dance and Art Network

Kse

a non-profit initiative by Nrityanjali Dance Academy

presents

Areas of Practice ICBC/Personal Injury Immigration Law Corporate / Commercial Real Estate / Property Development

The story of Kathak November 9, 2025 2 to 4 PM Surrey Arts Centre Tickets: bit.ly/42DNQ6d

Puneet P.K. Sandhar

Barinder S. Sanghera

B.A.,LL.B. (GND)

B.Comm.,LL.B. (UBC)

psandhar@slglawyers.com

bss@slglawyers.com

Ph: 778-968-900

#201, 12565 88 Ave, Surrey, B.C. V3W 3J7

PH: 604-700-8568

Phone: 604.543.8484 Fax: 604.543.8584

info@slglawyers.com www.slglawyers.com

Premier David Eby and your BC NDP MLAs wish you and your family a

Happy Diwali

Premier David Eby Vancouver-Point Grey

George Anderson

Rohini Arora

Garry Begg

Surrey-Guildford

Adrian Dix

Mike Farnworth

Burnaby East

George Chow

Sunita Dhir

Ravi Parmar

Amshen (Joan Phillip)

Vancouver-Fraserview Vancouver-Langara

Langford-Highlands Vancouver-Strathcona

Brenda Bailey

Vancouver-South Granville

Nanaimo-Lantzville

Vancouver-Renfrew

Lana Popham Saanich South

Jennifer Blatherwick

Coquitlam-Maillardville

Christine Boyle

Vancouver-Little Mountain

Jagrup Brar

Surrey-Fleetwood

Port Coquitlam

Richmond-Steveston

Kelly Greene

Ravi Kahlon Delta North

Burnaby Centre

Darlene Rotchford

Janet Routledge

Harwinder Sandhu

Amna Shah

Esquimalt-Colwood

Burnaby North

Vernon-Lumby

East Annex, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4 | (250) 387 3655

Anne Kang

Surrey Centre

Susie Chant

Raj Chouhan

North Vancouver-Seymour Burnaby-New Westminster

Nina Krieger

Sheila Malcolmson

Victoria-Swan Lake

Nanaimo-Gabriola Island

Jessie Sunner

Debra Toporowski

Surrey-Newton

Cowichan Valley

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

6635 Main St, Vancouver, BC

Harinder S. Toor 604.322.5502

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Housing affordability improving across Canada, but Vancouver remains least affordable: report Continued from Page 1... The report says housing affordability is improving because of lower interest rates, flat prices and sustained household income gains. However, while further improvement in housing affordability is expected, the speed of improvement is likely to slow as the effect of earlier interest rate cuts fade, according to the report by the bank’s assistant chief economist, Robert Hogue. The improving picture means that a Canadian household earning the median income of $85,400 needed to spend 53.6 per cent of that to cover the costs of owning a home in the last three months of 2025, down from a peak of 63.5 per cent at the end of 2023 but still high by historical standards. That picture is improving in B.C. as well, but the proportion of household income eaten up by housing costs remains high. It’s at 89.2 per cent for Vancouver, down from more than 100 per cent in 2024. In Victoria, the affordability measure rose slightly to 69 per cent, but is down from a high of 80 per cent in 2024.

That’s much higher than in places like Calgary (40.9 per cent), Edmonton (32.2 per cent), Montreal (48.4 per cent) and Ottawa (43.9 per cent). Toronto is at 66.4 per cent. A decade ago, less than 40 per cent of median income was needed to cover housing. In the early 2000s, it was in the low 30 per cent range. “For your average British Columbian, and especially for a household in Vancouver, it is still not an affordable housing market,” Hogue said. Last week, a frank discussion over affordability, investors and related issues in housing showed where many stand after a group of B.C. developers and a group of housing experts released letters on the housing crisis. RBC’s housing affordability index shows the proportion of median pre-tax income that would be needed to cover mortgage payments with a 20 per cent down payment, property taxes and utilities based. Housing affordability is worse for single detached homes.

Industry experts sound the alarm as 2,500 units sit vacant in Vancouver Continued from Page 1... Most alarmingly, other developers have started laying off staff or even going into receivership because of the market's stagnation. Condo markets having an abundance of excess supply in Vancouver could mean a potential jumping-in point for first-time homebuyers. According to the Greater Vancouver Realtors, the amount of properties sitting on the Multiple Listing Service (those for sale) is just under 15,000 — that’s over 36% below the 10-year seasonal average the

association noted (2). However, BC isn’t the only place with a glut of supply. Recently, the Building Industry and Land Development Association is calling for government intervention in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) given plummeting sales in the region (3). There were only 300 new homes sales in August of this year, Altus Group noted, which is 81% below the 10-year average and 42% below August 2024 levels. What do these patches of excess supply across Canada mean for buyers?

200 – 6245 - 136th St., Surrey, B.C. V3X 1H3

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

OPINION

Pakistan’s illegal claim over Kashmir Islamabad anger and embarrassment is understandable. Rawalpindi’s ill-considered decision to invest in the Afghan Taliban as a means to fulfill its ambition of creating “strategic depth” in Afghanistan by orchestrating placement of a pliable regime in Kabul as a buffer against India has backfired. And Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s recent visit to New Delhi and his anti-Pakistan statements only added insult to Islamabad’s wounds. While reacting to the joint statement issued during this visit, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry mentioned that “It was conveyed that the reference to Jammu and Kashmir as part of India is in clear violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the legal status of Jammu and Kashmir.” Though a oft repeated argument, Islamabad’s full of sound and fury statement merits a closer examination to ascertain the accuracy of the assertions contained therein. Pakistan’s case on Kashmir is based on two argumentsone, J&K is “disputed territory”, and two, a plebiscite as envisaged in UNSC resolution 47 needs to be held in order to ascertain the wishes of the Kashmiri people and determine whether they want to remain with India or become part of Pakistan. While it may assert that its stance on Kashmir is principled and in keeping with UNSC resolutions, the reality is that Islamabad’s Kashmir narrative is a mix of half-truths and selective interpretation of UN resolutions. Pakistan’s failure to garner support of the international community for its Kashmir narrative for more than sevenand-a half decades despite raising this issue on every conceivable occasion clearly indicates the inherent deficiency of compelling reasons in the same. So, let’s first examine Pakistan’s repetitive claim of J&K being “disputed territory” and thereafter the issue of plebiscite in J&K. A piece of real estate becomes disputed when its ownership is uncertain. The erstwhile ruler of J&K signed the Instrument of Accession in favour of India and being a legal document it made this kingdom an integral part of India. The fact that legality of J&K’s accession to India has never ever been questioned by the UNSC clearly proves that this region is very much an integral part of India. Yet, Pakistan wants the world to believe that J&K is deemed “disputed territory” by UNSC. As long as the ownership title of any disputed real estate remains unclear, the parties claiming rights over it don’t have any legal rights to make any arbitrary transactions related to such property.

Ph: 604-591-5423 Fax: 604-591-8615 editor@theasianstar.com Editor: Umendra Singh Marketing and Sales: Ravi Cheema 604-715-3847 Shamir Doshi 604-649-7827 Harminder Kaur 778-708-0481 Parminder Dhillon 604-902-2858 Pre-Press: Avee Waseer Production: Ozmo Media

www.theasianstar.com

Publication Mail Agreement No 428336012 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept.

# 202 - 8388, 128 St., Surrey, BC V3W 4G2 All advertising in The Asian Star is subject to the publishers’ approval and the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publishers against claims arising from publication of any advertisement submitted by the advertiser.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Wishing Everyone

Bandi Chorr Diwas & Happy Diwali

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

WE YOUnUON CHORR smUhWISH BweIcwry M bMdBANDI I CoV idvs Aqy DIWAS idvwlI & HAPPY dIAW bhuq bhuDIWALI q mubwrkW

8820 - 168 strIt, srI

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Gaba Tires gabaautodetailing.com

NEW & USED TIRES 31324 -107A Peardonville Rd, Abbotsford, BC 604 746 4222

45877 Hocking Ave, Chilliwack, BC 604 316 3643

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Wishing everyone Happy Diwali

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

BEST SERVICE AND MORTGAGE RATES

Call us for Lowest Mortgage Rates on Your Mortgage Renewals and New Mortgages. We have helped thousands of our clients. We have a big pool of Private Mortgages to help you.

Private Mortgage Residential / Re-ﬁnance Self Employed Construction Mortgage

Surrey's surge in extortion-related violence 'a national crisis', says business leader Continued from Page 1... A woman was sent to the hospital in critical condition after shots were fired at a Surrey home at about 3 a.m. in the 13000 block of 103A Avenue. Huberman said the current level of response is not matching the seriousness of the issue, and called on Ottawa to intervene. “The Surrey Police Service can’t do it all. There needs to be real advocacy to ensure enhanced municipal policing and federal intelligence co-ordination to address this horrible wave of organized crime and extortion.” A local South Asian business leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called the situation “really scary,” and described how victims fear demands for money and threats of violence

if they speak out. On Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney says the federal government will introduce new legislation next week aimed at keeping violent, repeat offenders — including those behind extortion schemes — off the streets. The bill will make bail more difficult to obtain for serious offences, including extortion, violent auto theft, break and enter, human trafficking and assault. It will also allow for consecutive sentencing, meaning an offender handed multiple sentences must serve them back-to-back. Surrey–Newton Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal welcomed the announcement, saying that it sends a strong signal that Ottawa is responding to concerns from his community.

The Truth behind India’s hunger

WESTWIDE MORTGAGE CORP. #204 8334 128th Street, Surrey, B.C. V3W 4G2

Ajitabh Gandhi Mortgage Consultant

778 707 1028 Email: westwidemortgage@gmail.com

Continued from Page 1... In India, the more urgent challenge lies in food loss—the silent leakage that occurs during harvesting, storage, transportation, and distribution. Estimates suggest that India wastes nearly 68 million tonnes of food annually, with 35–40% of fruits and vegetables lost post-harvest. For farmers, this translates into collapsing incomes even in years of good harvest; for consumers, it drives higher prices, volatile supplies, and compromised nutrition. This difference between “loss” and “waste” is crucial: policy interventions that focus solely on urban consumer behaviour will miss the heart of the problem. Food loss is not only an economic tragedy, it is also an environmental one. Agriculture already consumes 80–90% of India’s freshwater, and when food is lost, the water, fertiliser, energy, and land that went into producing it are also wasted.

Rotting food further contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Decomposing organic matter in landfills releases methane, a gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Globally, food waste is estimated to account for 6–8% of total emissions. For India, where climate stress already affects harvests, this is a double burden: wasted food both deepens hunger and worsens climate change. The challenge is further aggravated by climate variability. Erratic rains, unseasonal heatwaves, and sudden floods accelerate spoilage. Crops that could once be stored for weeks now decay in days under higher temperatures. Perishables such as apples, tomatoes, and milk face acute losses in the absence of reliable cold chains, turning climate stress into economic disaster. Farmers often confront a cruel choice: distress-sell at throwaway prices or let produce rot, both outcomes feeding the vicious cycle of rural poverty.

(604)771-3089 Fax: (778)654-9226 | Email: info@NaiyaGillLaw.ca

www.NaiyaGillLaw.ca 9850 King George Blvd Unit 536, Suite 300, Surrey, BC

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Wishing Everyone

HAPPY DIWALI & BANDI CHHOR DIWAS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

US may be ready for a trade deal with India now C.S.T. Consultants Inc.

BC Helps Parents Boost their Education Savings! Start saving for your child’s future education in a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) and receive up to $8,400 in government grants.1 Open a CST RESP now and you’ll start receiving the Canada Education Savings grant (CESG). The CESG can add up to $7,200 to your child’s RESP. When your child turns six, they can receive an additional $1,200 from the B.C. Government. SURJIT S. MADHOPURI Sales Representative C.S.T. Consultants Inc., Branch 789 Tel: 604.594.7200 / Cell: 604.377.4171 Email: surjit.madhopuri@cstresp.com http://www.cstresp.com/6117

1 The Canada Education Savings Grant matches 20% of the first $2,500 you contribute to your child’s RESP each year up to a lifetime maximum of $7,200. BC Training and Education Savings Grant (BCTESG) is a one-time $1,200 grant available to BC resident children born on or after January 1st, 2006. Children are eligible for the BCTESG on their sixth birthday. You have until the day before your child’s ninth birthday to apply for the BCTESG. Conditions apply. ™ The Canadian Scholarship Trust Plan is a registered trademark of the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation. The CST Plan is only sold by Prospectus. You can get copies of the prospectus from www.cst.org or by calling 1.877.333.RESP(7377). MH1100(2017-04)

Continued from Page 1... “The deal may move quickly because Washington wants it, giving India relief from the 50% tariffs now hurting its exports,” Srivastava noted. Yet he urged caution: India should “hold firm on its red lines in agriculture, digital trade, e‑commerce, and intellectual property, and avoid any anti‑China clauses that could limit its strategic autonomy.” Negotiators face familiar friction points. In agriculture, limited market access through tariff cuts and tariff‑rate quotas on select US products is conceivable, but India remains protective of small farmers and dairy, wary of subsidized US competition. On intellectual property, stricter patent standards risk undermining India’s generics industry and access to affordable medicines. In digital trade, the United

States typically seeks binding commitments on cross‑border data flows, data localization, and treatment of digital products; India prefers flexible, best‑endeavor language to preserve domestic policy space. E‑commerce rules and FDI in multi‑brand retail are additional sensitivities that touch competition, consumer protection, and the role of large platforms.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

SELECTION

SERVICE

SALE

PINE LIGHTING wishes everyone

HAPPY DIWALI & BANDI CHORR DIWAS

We have huge Variety of CEILING LIGHTS

WALL LIGHTS

VISIT OUR SURREY LOCATION TODAY!

FANS

LAMPS

HOME DECOR

604-591-8895 6898 King George Hwy., Surrey, B.C. V3W 4Z9

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

OPEN HOUSE OCT. 18 & 19 | FROM 1-4 PM

TOUR THE BEST AMENITIES IN SURREY CENTRAL

0.99

3-Year Mortgage

JOIN A SHOW HOMES TOUR & RECEIVE AN INSTANT GIFT!

PARK GEORGE SALES OFFICE: TOWNHOME #5, 13778 100 AVE, SURREY BC Open Daily, 11 am to 5 pm (Closed Fridays)

604.583.9866 I PARKGEORGE.COM

up to

35,000

EQ3 Furniture Credit

Move-in Now to 1, 2 & 3 - Bedroom Suite and Townhomes from the mid-$400,000s with Purchase Incentives Exclusive to Home Buyers!

SCAN TO BOOK YOUR PRIVATE TOUR TODAY

The Homeowner Advantage Incentive Package (the “Incentive’) is available from September 18 to December 31, 2025 for Park George homes. The Incentive is only applicable to end-user buyers. 0.99% 3-Year Mortgage subsidy payment is based on assumptions and calculations determined solely by the Developers and may be changed from time to time. Value of EQ3 furniture credit varies by suite type and may be offered with any substitution as determined by the Developer from time to time. The Incentive may be canceled, extended or modified anytime at the sole discretion of the Developers without prior notice. Some conditions and restrictions apply. Please ask a sales executive for further details. This is not an offering for sale. Any such offer will be made with the applicable disclosure statement, offer to purchase, and agreement of sale. Prices and availability of the suites are subject to change without notice. Concord Park George Limited Partnership. E & O.E.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025