Welcome to BCPIAC

Welcome to BCPIAC

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Organizational 28 Apr 2005

Treeplanting contractor charged with fraud, to appear in Provincial Court November 2nd

(Vancouver) November 1, 2011. Crown counsel have laid four charges under the Criminal Code against Khalid Bajwa, owner of Khaira Enterprises Ltd., for using forged documents and for fraud over $5000.  The charges relate to work that Mr. Bajwa secured for clearing brush in 2010.  Mr. Bajwa has been summoned to appear in Provincial Court in Revelstoke on November 2, 2011.

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Human Rights | News | Social Justice | Tree Planters 01 Nov 2011

Khaira Tree Planters, One Year Later Despite Legal Victories, Wages and EI Remain Unpaid

(Vancouver) July 20, 2011. Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of the closure of the Khaira camp in Golden, B.C. where tree planters, primarily of African origin, were effectively enslaved, trapped in the woods living and working under deplorable conditions, and not paid. The conditions the workers endured were uncovered following an investigation by the B.C. Federation of Labour.

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Human Rights | Social Justice | Tree Planters 20 Jul 2011

Khaira workers have yet to receive a penny of their $236,000 in unpaid wages

(Vancouver) February 17, 2011. On January 17, 2011, the Employment Standards Branch (ESB) ordered Khaira Enterprises Ltd. to pay $228,687.51 to tree planters who worked for the company from March to July, 2010. An amended decision was issued on February 4, 2011 correcting the amount to $236,800.52.

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News | Social Justice 17 Feb 2011

BC Employment Standards Branch orders Khaira to pay tree planters $228,000 in unpaid wages

(Vancouver) January 25, 2011. The Employment Standards Branch (ESB) has just ordered Khaira Enterprises Ltd. to pay $228,687.51 to tree planters who worked for the company from March to July, 2010.  Khaira is a tree planting company run by Khalid Bajwa and Hardilpreet (Sunny) Sidhu.

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News | Social Justice 24 Jan 2011

BC Hydro Spin on Rate Increases Sparks Legal Complaint

Vancouver (December 14, 2010) A lawyer who represents consumers in BC Hydro regulatory proceedings launched an official complaint against BC Hydro today, over the way the Crown utility has described planned electricity rate increases in statements to the public.  Vancouver lawyer Jim Quail, Executive Director of the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre, charges that a release issued on December 2 by Dave Cobb, the CEO of BC Hydro, violated an order by the Utilities Commission.

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BC Hydro | Consumer Rights | News 14 Dec 2010

BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre Calls for Immediate Action for Workers in BC Treeplanting Case

(Vancouver) December 9, 2010. Lawyers at the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre (BCPIAC) are calling on the government to act quickly to remedy injustices experienced by tree planters formerly employed by Khaira Enterprises Ltd (Khaira), a tree planting company run by Khalid Bajwa and Hardilpreet (Sunny) Sidhu.

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Human Rights | News | Social Justice 09 Dec 2010

BCPIAC Overview for Advocates

one-page overview for advocates about what BCPIAC does.

Download BCPIAC Overview for Advocates

Factsheets 25 Oct 2010

Sahotas finally pay first group of Pandora Tenants, second group still waiting for money despite win

(Vancouver) October 5, 2010. After a legal battle spanning almost three years and culminating in the BC Supreme Court, Gurdyal Singh Sahota has finally paid 36 tenants damage awards totaling nearly $170,000. The tenants lived at 2131 Pandora St. in East Vancouver, a building owned and operated by the Sahota family who also own the Cobalt and Astoria hotels. The building flooded in October 2007 and the tenants were permanently evacuated after the City of Vancouver ordered it closed.

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News | Organizational | Social Justice 05 Oct 2010

Public Commission on Legal Aid Receiving Written Submissions Until October 31, 2010

The Public Commission on Legal Aid is seeking progressive solutions to improve the delivery of legal aid in British Columbia and is accepting written submissions from members of the public and other stakeholders who are interested in making a contribution to this process until October 31, 2010.

The Commission will be holding hearings open to the public throughout the fall. Check out the schedule here.

BCPIAC is part of the Coalition for Public Legal Services which is calling for access to legal aid for low-income people in BC.

Social Justice 03 Sep 2010

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