Page 22 - Canada

Indian family froze crossing Canada-US border; perilous trips on rise

On the last night of their lives, Jagdish Patel, his wife and their two young children tried to slip into the US across a near-empty stretch of the Canadian border. Wind chills reached minus 36 Fahrenheit (minus 38 Celsius) that night in January 2022 as the family from India set out on foot to meet a waiting van. They walked amid vast farm fields and bulky snowdrifts, navigating in the black of an almost-moonless night. The driver, waiting in northern Minnesota, messaged his boss: Make sure everyone is dressed for the blizzard conditions, please. Coordinating things in Canada, federal prosecutors say, was Harshkumar Patel, an experienced smuggler nicknamed Dirty Harry. On the US side was Steve Shand, the driver recently recruited by Patel at a casino near their Florida homes, prosecutors say. The two men, whose trial is scheduled to start Monday, are accused of being part of a sophisticated human smuggling operation feeding a fast-growing population of Indians living illegally in

Peel police probe tensions at Brampton temple protest after officer clash

Following an investigation, it was determined that the officer involved was attempting to disarm an individual who had refused to surrender their weapon and became confrontational

Govt to pursue extradition of Khalistani separatist Arsh Dalla with Canada

India on Thursday said it will pursue an extradition request with Canada for Arsh Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, the de-facto chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force, following his arrest in that country. Dalla was designated in India as a terrorist in 2023. In July 2023, India had requested the Canadian government for his provisional arrest. "In view of the recent arrest, our agencies will be following up on an extradition request," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "Given Arsh Dalla's criminal record in India and his involvement in similar illegal activities in Canada, it is expected that he will be extradited or deported to face justice in India," he added. Dalla was reportedly arrested by the Canadian Police late last month. "We have seen media reports circulating since November 10 on the arrest in Canada of proclaimed offender Arsh Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, the de-facto chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force," Jaiswal said. "Canadian print and v

Canadian city bans protests near places of worship after temple attack

A violent confrontation occurred outside the Hindu Sabha temple on November 4 when a pro-Khalistani group gathered nearby to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India

Experts hail pro-India Mike Waltz's pick as US NSA; predict stronger ties

The National Security Adviser is a top aide to the president who plays a major role in foreign and national security policy decision-making

Canada moves to end labour disputes at ports citing economic damage

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said he had directed the country's industrial relations board to order an end to the strike

No direct threats to places of worship amid tensions: Canada's Peel Police

Peel Regional Police has been in contact with the Consul General of India, as well as places of worship and community centres

Arrests continue in Brampton temple clash: New suspect in custody

Peel Region Police announced the arrest of Inderjeet Gosal from Brampton who has been alleged to have organised the protest at the Brampton temple on November 3.

Terrorist Dalla arrested by Canadian police after shooting incident: Report

Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, who was designated a terrorist by India, is likely to have been arrested in Canada's Ontario province following a shooting incident, sources claimed here on Sunday. The incident occurred on October 28 in Milton. The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) had last Tuesday said that it had arrested two men on charges of "discharging firearm with intent" following an investigation after the duo had come to a hospital and one of them was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot and later discharged. It did not disclose their identity and said both accused "were held in custody pending a bail hearing". The sources claimed that one of those arrested is believed to be Arsh Dalla, who is associated with the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and ran terror modules on behalf of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist who was killed in June last year. "The HRPS was contacted by Guelph Police in the early morning hours of October 28, 2024, after tw

Biz as usual in Canada despite tensions between New Delhi, Ottawa: SBI

State Bank of India (SBI) has not seen any impact in Canada despite the ongoing tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa, a top bank official has said. The Indian government-run lender, which has been present in Canada since 1982, is considered as a "local bank" by all stakeholders in the North American country, its chairman C S Setty said. "We have not seen any change in approach either among the regulators or the customers, it is business as usual," Setty told PTI. SBI operates eight branches through a wholly owned subsidiary in Canada, including in Toronto, Brampton, and Vancouver. "I think we are considered as one of the local banks there -- our engagement in business, banking business is with the local environment there," he said. India-Canada relationship has been frosty for over a year now, ever since the North American country accused India of plotting assassinations of its citizens and the relationship hit a new low last month with the expulsion of diplomats. Meanwhile, Set

Canada ends popular student visa programme; India, 13 other nations hit

Student Direct Stream (SDS) was a popular international student programme which applied to students from India, China, Pakistan, Brazil, Senegal and several others

Many Khalistan supporters in Canada, they don't represent Sikhs: Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the presence of Khalistan supporters in Canada but said they do not represent the Sikh community as a whole. His comments came during Diwali celebrations at Ottawa's Parliament Hill recently amid an ongoing diplomatic row with India over the killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. There are many supporters of Khalistan in Canada, but they do not represent the Sikh Community as a whole. Similarly, there are supporters of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's government in Canada, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians, Trudeau said. The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing. New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd". India expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its high commissioner Sanjay Verma and other "targeted" officials from Canada after strongly ...

Canadian MP Chandra Arya slams politicians for dividing Hindus and Sikhs

The Canadian MP said that politicians are portraying Hindus and Sikhs as opposing sides regarding the attack on the temple by Khalistani extremists

Donald Trump's deportation plan key focus for Canada's Cabinet committee

President-elect Donald Trump's promise to launch a mass deportation of millions of undocumented people is a top focus for Canada, its deputy prime minister said Friday, as the country plans to deal with a possible influx north. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau re-established a special Cabinet committee on Canada-U.S relations to address his administration's concerns about another Trump presidency this week. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is chair of the revived committee, said what Trump's deportation plan would mean for Canada is a key priority for the committee. "I do want Canadians to know it is one of our two central points of focus," Freeland said after the group met for the first time since Trump's first term in office. Freeland said controlling Canada's border is fundamental. Canadians are right to be concerned about it, she said. Freeland said Canada has a plan, but she did not share any details. She said she spoke to the leaders of Canada's provinces about the

MEA trashes 'fake' document urging diaspora mobilisation against extremists

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday trashed as "fake" a 'one-page communication' circulating on social media that purportedly calls for mobilising groups of Indian diaspora to allegedly confront pro-Khalistani "extremists" in Canada. The "said government of India" communication is "fake", the External Publicity & Public Diplomacy Division of the MEA said. The "fake" document, bearing the name of the ministry and the year 2023, mentions the name of a top diplomat of India and is addressed to a senior diplomat in Ottawa. The surfacing of this "fake" document comes amid an escalating diplomatic row between India and Canada. The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd". Nijjar was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia i

Trudeau revives Cabinet-level panel to address concerns of Trump presidency

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday he is re-establishing a special Cabinet committee on Canada-US relations to address his administration's concerns about another Donald Trump presidency. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is also the country's finance minister, will chair the committee, which also will include other top officials including ministers of foreign affairs, public safety and industry. Following the election of President Donald Trump for a second term, the Cabinet Committee will focus on critical Canada-US issues, Trudeau's office said in a statement Thursday. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 75 per cent of Canada's exports go to the US. During Trump's first time, his move to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, and reports that he was considering a 25 per cent tariff on the auto sector were considered an existential threat in Canada at the time. Trudeau called Trump on Wednesday

TikTok's Canadian biz to be dissolved after govt order but app not blocked

Canada announced Wednesday it is ordering the dissolution of TikTok's Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media app but said it won't block access. Industry Minister Franois-Philippe Champagne said it is meant to address risks related to ByteDance Ltd.'s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc. The government is not blocking Canadians' access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," Champagne said. Champagne said it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information. He said the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada's national security. TikTok Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but

Trudeau condemns violence at Hindu temple in Brampton, no word on Khalistan

The statement came following the Khalistani extremists attacking Hindu-Canadian devotees within the Hindu Sabha temple premises in Brampton, Canada, on Sunday

'Canada approving visas for criminals': Ex-police official slams Trudeau

India-Canada diplomatic ties have hit their lowest in decades since Justin Trudeau charged India with being involved in the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year

Political space given to extremists: Jaishankar on temple attack in Canada

Hindu temples in Canada have recently become targets of attacks, ranging from graffiti with inflammatory slogans, acts of property damage, to clashes between groups