nts
ntal Care Plan) patie
nadian De Accepting CDCP( Ca
ns
l Crow lants Denta Dental Impowns Ceramic Cr Bridges es Sem-Clear Brac Speed Braces Invisalign ry General Dentist Orthodontics Implants ning Cosmetic White es Treatment ac Br st Fa Providing
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 26 - ISSUE 1
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2026
Canadians now spending $1 bn per year to cover healthcare costs of refugee claimants
Paying the health-care premiums of refugee claimants will cost Canadians a record $1 billion this year, with some of the beneficiaries continuing to receive free health care despite their claims having already been rejected. Continued on Page 10...
Surrey police chief's ask for transition delay into Cloverdale denied by BC government
The B.C. government’s director of policing has denied a request from Surrey’s police chief for a four-month delay of its transition into the Cloverdale neighbourhood. Surrey police Chief Norm Lipinski said Wednesday in a news release that he asked the province for the extension largely due to the city’s extortion crisis, which has affected the force in an “unprecedented” manner and has led to dozens of officers being assigned to specialized extortion investigation teams. “While this work is critical to
Debt, Deficits, and a Hidden Construction Tax: ICBA Responds to BC Budget Tax increases, historic deficits, and record debt make Premier David Eby’s 2026/27 B.C. Budget challenging for B.C. construction businesses, says the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA). The provincial budget includes a torrent of red ink: $36.9BN in deficits over three years ($13.3BN in 26/27, $12.2BN in 27/28, and $11.4BN in 28/29). Since Eby became Premier less than four years ago, the debt has soared from $91BN to $154BN – and will hit $235BN by the end of the decade. “This budget, taken as a whole, will do little to bolster economic growth or encourage more capital investment in the province,” said Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist. “The fiscal picture summarized by the Minister of Finance
TEL: 604-591-5423
protecting our community, it has significantly impacted our staffing capacity,” Lipinski said. However, Glen Lewis, the province’s director of policing and law enforcement, instead told the SPS it is expected to police all of Cloverdale by April 1, according to Lipinski. The Surrey Police Service became the police of jurisdiction in B.C.’s second largest city in November 2024, taking over from the RCMP as part of a phased transition plan. Continued on Page 10...
India-Canada ties ‘back on track’
is sobering and speaks to poor management of the province’s public finances under Premier Eby since late 2022. There is no plan to return to a balanced operating budget or stem the steady growth in total government debt as a share of our economy (GDP). Continued on Page 10...
Punjab cops to seek first-ever Interpol notices to freeze gangsters’ assets abroad In a first such move, the Punjab Police are in the process of getting silver notices issued from the Interpol to freeze moveable and immoveable assets of gangsters living abroad. The police had recently prepared a list of 61 “most active” gangsters behind extortion threats from abroad, attacks on rival gangsters or targeted killing of politicians/important individuals in the state. Continued on Page 13...
Gaba Tire
ALL TIRES AVAILABLE (AS, AT MT & SEMI TRUCK)
WHOLESALE TIRES Installation Available
ABBOTSFORD
31324 - 107 Peardonville Rd 604-897-3235 604-746-4222
KAMLOOPS
India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, has said bilateral ties are “extremely good” and firmly “back on track,” expressing confidence that negotiations toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) could begin within weeks and conclude swiftly. “The current status of the relationship is extremely good. I mean, we couldn’t have asked for anything better given our past history of the last two years,” Patnaik said in an interview with the Financial Post, noting that momentum picked up after Prime Minister Mark Carney met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kananaskis during the G7 summit. He pointed to the appointment of High Commissioners and a “spate of visits at the level of ministers,” including the foreign, trade, and energy ministers, as well as parliamentary and sectoral delegations. Continued on Page 10...
133 Wilson Street 250-572-5444