Bringing you Canada's first Sikh Heritage Trail, with over 11,000 km of Sikh Heritage to discover.
Newfoundland & Labrador
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Newfoundland Sikh Society
In 2005, families in the Sikh community of St. John's got together and they purchased a property on Logy Bay Road, renovated the building, and had the first Gurudwara in St. John's, Newfoundland. The Gurdwara and Cultural Center is located on Logy Bay Rd. It is hosted by the Newfoundland Sikh Society.
Nova Scotia
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Nova Scotia Archives
The Nova Scotia Archives contain rare court records and other documents and paraphernalia including photographs related to Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh. Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh, the grandson of the Lion of Punjab and last Sikh King the late Maharajah Ranjeet Singh, was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1887, he entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, with a special Cadetship and left the following December to be commissioned as Lieutenant into the 1st (Royal) Dragoons. In 1888, Prince Victor Duleep Singh was posted to Halifax, Nova Scotia as Honorary Aide-de- Camp to General Sir John Ross, commander of British forces in British North America. Prince Victor is the first person of Sikh heritage and lineage to live in Canada.
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Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh
Although now demolished, 7 Spring Garden Road (Corner of Spring Garden Road & Brunswick) was the residence of Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh during his stay in Halifax Nova Scotia from 1888-1890. It was in its original state until just recently when in 2017 it was demolished to make way for the current building structure in place. The Nova Scotia archives material gives a glimpse of some of the items that were contained in the house and that were owned by Prince Victor including a piano. In 1888, Prince Victor Jay Duleep Singh was posted to Halifax, Nova Scotia as Honorary Aide-de- Camp to General Sir John Ross, commander of British forces in British North America. Prince Victor is the first person of Sikh heritage and lineage to live in Canada. He returned to England in 1890.
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Amelie
The people of Charlesville welcomed 174 refugee Sikhs on board the freighter Amelie, who were dropped at night in foggy, predawn darkness and waded through the surf to Canadian soil off southern Nova Scotia in July 1987. This happened more than 70 years after Canada turned away a shipload of Sikhs in Vancouver. However, this time the welcome by locals was much different, as the weary Sikhs were received with a welcoming kindness. Local residents, who discovered the wandering Sikhs, took them to a community center and gave them tea and peanut butter sandwiches, because they said they were vegetarians.
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Maritime Sikh Society
The Maritime Sikh Society (MSS) founded in 1968 is a religious body providing services to Sikhs of the Maritime provinces of Canada including the local Gurdwara. Members of the Sikh Community in Nova Scotia gather weekly for service at the Gurdwara on Parkhill Road which was built in 1978 and is under renovation in 2020 for a new two-storey, 20,000-square-foot building.
New Brunswick
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Atlantic Khalsa Darbar
The current Gurdwara in New Brunswick is located on MacArthur Lane Route 133. Members of the Sikh community in New Brunswick have recently purchased land north of Shediac just off route 11 near the Shediac River to build the province's first Sikh Gurdwara – Atlantic Khalsa Darbar. Currently, there is no Sikh Gurdwara in Prince Edward Island. The Gurdwara project is expected to be completed by 2023.
Québec
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Canadian Centre For Architecture
The Canadian Centre for Architecture is a museum of architecture and research centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. As an international research institution it operates from the fundamental premise that architecture is a public concern. As such, its collection includes archival holdings and materials that documents the culture and production of architecture worldwide including some of the earliest and rarest photographs and documents related to Sikh heritage, history and architecture in Punjab and in Canada. Visit in person or use the website tool to search the collections. Keywords can include Sikh/Sikhs/Golden Temple/Amritsar/Lahore/Punjab/Singh just to name a few.
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Anju Dhillon, MP
Anju Dhillon MP is a Canadian Liberal politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 and 2019 federal elections. She is the first person of South Asian descent to be elected from the province of Quebec. Dhillon was born and raised in Montreal, and began volunteering for Paul Martin's campaigns at age 13. For ten years she was vice-president (female) for youth of the federal liberal riding association in LaSalle-Émard, and was subsequently its vice-president (female). Dhillon attended Concordia University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science, and then studied law at Université de Montréal, later becoming the first Canadian Sikh to practice law in Quebec.
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Pte Gouger Singh
Facing extreme racism a group of Sikhs still managed to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The first Sikh to enlist and sign his attestation papers was Private Gouger Singh (Goojar Singh/Gougersing) on January 6, 1915 in Montreal with the 24th BN (Quebec Regiment). He was also the first casualty among the Sikhs who enlisted for Canada. He was killed in action early in the war in the trenches near Kemmel, Belgium, just south of Ypres, in October 1915. He is buried in the La Laiterie Military Cemetery among 197 other Canadians, strangely, Private Gouger Singh’s gravestone does not show the Canadian Maple Leaf, though his Canadian Battalion number is noted. The Sikh inscription is unusual for a Canadian gravestone. The Sikh script in Gurmukhi language reads: “God is one” and “Victory to God”.
Ontario
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Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada (SHMC)
The Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada (SHMC) is a Canadian organization celebrating the unique culture, history, and legacy of Sikh Canadians and creating a tribute to the historical significance of the Sikh community. The SHMC is dedicated to advancing and promoting knowledge, understanding, and preservation of the cultural and religious life of our people. We do so through our top-quality museum exhibits, lectures, and special programs. The Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada has engaged exhibits and lectures nationally and internationally including at the World Parliament of Religions, and has hosted Prime Ministers, Ministers, Premieres, Mayors, and many other dignitaries from Canada and around the world.
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Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest and most visited in Canada. The ROM hosted the landmark Arts of the Sikh Kingdom exhibition in partnership with the V&A in London in May 2000. The ROM has a number of Sikh artifacts in its collection and on display including a model of the Golden Temple of Amritsar, as Address Casket c1870, photographs of the 14th Sikhs, and a commissioned painting – Sikhs in Canada, by the Singh Twins.
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Empire Club of Canada
Located at the prestigious Fairmount Royal York in Toronto and established in 1903 as a response to Canadian political unrest, the Empire Club of Canada (ECC) quickly became a leading speakers’ forum. Beginning with speeches to address Canada’s relationships with the British Empire and the United States, the ECC continues to tackle issues that affect the lives of Canadians. Prominent Sikhs have spoken at the ECC including Sardar Hardit Singh Malik who spoke in 1939 and 1949, as well as Dr. Sundar Singh whose speech at the ECC in 1912 entitled The Sikhs in Canada is also featured in the book Great Canadian Speeches selected and edited by Dennis Gruending.
Shromani Sikh Society Gurudwara
Established in the late 1960’s, the Shromani Sikh Society Gurdwara more commonly referred to as the Pape Gurdwara was the first Gurdwara to be established in Ontario. The property building was originally used as a horse stall. Similar to many first Gurdwara’s in communities, the Pape Gurdwara served not only as a religious institution but also a first place of contact for any new Sikh arrival in Toronto. Naturally, a large Sikh community established itself in the surrounding areas of Pape Gurdwara, which in turn also led to the various storefronts on Gerrard Street and local cinema’s started to screen Bollywood movies.
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Ontario Khalsa Darbar
The largest and busiest Gurdwara in Canada is the Ontario Khalsa Darbar. It is more commonly known as Dixie Road Gurdwara. Originally established in 1978 in an onsite trailer, it has grown both in land acquisition as well as building architecture since the construction of the original building in 1988. In 1990 when Nelson Mandela was freed and visited Canada, the then President of the Ontario Khalsa Darbar met with Mr. Mandela and presented him with a framed letter and funds towards the African National Congress. The framed letter from the Ontario Khalsa Darbar is on display at the home of Nelson Mandela which currently is the Nelson Mandela Museum in South Africa.
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Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar
The Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar is a great architectural design resembling patterns from historic Sikh places of worship/Gurdwaras in Punjab. The beautiful white exterior façade is topped with 5 domes which feature an inverted lotus flower. The lotus flower is a metaphor used throughout the Sikh scripture, encouraging Sikh devotees to live a life like a lotus flower - The lotus flower is with the scum and the water, but it remains untouched by any pollution.
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Veterans’ Memorial Park
Although not wanted and at times not accepted towards becoming Canadians, Sikhs still found a way to fulfill their duty when the call came to Canada to support and engage in the war effort of World War I. Led by Historian Dr. David Gray and Students from Smith Falls, along with the local Legion branch, the War Memorial on the Smith Falls Cenotaph added the names of a couple of the Sikh soldiers who registered and signed their attestation papers for enlistment in the war on behalf of Canada in Smith Falls in 1915. These include Private W Singh (Waryam/Wary Am), and Private L Singh (Lashman/Laal/Loal)
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Komagata Maru Park
On Saturday, June 22, 2019, the Brampton community came together to celebrate the official opening of Komagata Maru Park. The park is the first Canadian commemoration of the Komagata Maru incident outside of British Columbia. Brampton residents, dignitaries, and descendants of the survivors of the ship were in attendance. Komagata Maru Park is a tribute to those who were on the Komagata Maru ship and honours all immigrants and their struggles, triumphs, and contributions to the mosaic of Canada. The ship departed from Hong Kong in May of 1914, transporting migrants, largely Sikhs from Punjab to Canada. The ship was met by Canadian officials at the Port of Vancouver and denied entry.
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Harpreet Singh Dhariwal Memorial
A phenomenal community leader and advocate for all things Sikhi, Harpreet Singh Dhariwal worked tiredly many times silently and behind the scenes to further the Sikh presence. He served voluntarily as the first Sikh faith advisor (Chaplain) with the Toronto Police Service. He empowered youth through his first love of basketball and supported many Sikh camps and programs. From a very young age, Harpreet was engaged in community advocacy and was featured in the Toronto Star in 1977, during a protest for Human Rights and safety for Sikhs in Toronto and the surrounding area who were victims of racial abuse and physical violence. Given Harpreet’s extraordinary contribution to the community, especially to the youth and in the field of sports, on the first anniversary of his passing, a special dedication ceremony was held at the Gore Meadows Community Centre where the City of Brampton recognized Harpreet‘s life-work by unveiling a permanent plaque in his honour.
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Pte. Bukham Singh Public School
Private Buckham Singh was a farmhand who enlisted in Smith Falls Ontario to serve in the first World War in 1915. “We’re honoured to name one of our elementary schools for Buckham Singh,” says Balbir Sohi, trustee for Brampton Wards 9 and 10 stated, “Through his service and dedication to our country, he left behind a proud legacy--not just for the Sikh community, but for all of Canada.” Pte Singh became part of a battalion from Kingston, Ontario, and later served overseas as a Private in France and Belgium. He was wounded twice in two different battles and died in 1919 in a military hospital in Kitchener.
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Tiger Jeet Singh Public School
Jagjeet Singh Hans is better known for his professional wrestling ring name Tiger Jeet Singh. In additional to a very successful international professional wrestling career, Tiger Jeet Singh is very active in supporting various philanthropic and humanitarian works. Trustee Donna Danielli addressed the decision for naming the school as follows: "He definitely makes a difference in the community and I believe that he will be a very positive role model and mentor at that school -- he plans to be very involved." The public elementary school in Milton Ontario, named after Singh was opened in September 2010.
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Maple Leaf Gardens
In the 1960s, Jagjeet Singh Hans began wrestling and emigrated from his hometown in Punjab to Canada. Hans trained in Toronto under Fred Atkins and eventually signed with Frank Tunney, a Toronto wrestling promoter. Atkins dubbed Hans "Tiger" after witnessing his ferocious style of fighting. Tiger Jeet Singh made his debut at the famed Maple Leaf Gardens in 1965, wrestling as a heel. His first main event in Toronto was a tag match late that year, teaming with Professor Hiro to take on the team of Johnny Powers and Sweet Daddy Siki. He began teaming with Fred Atkins in 1966. They became the top team in Toronto by defeating Whipper Billy Watson and Bulldog Brower for the international tag title in July 1966. Singh and Atkins wrestled at or near the top of the card through 1966 and 1967.
He also fought in the US wrestling circuits, grappling wth opponents like Sweet Daddy Siki, André the Giant, Hans Schmidt, Whipper Billy Watson and "Bulldog" Dick Brower. In February 1971, Singh wrestled The Sheik in the main event of the first wrestling show in Maple Leaf Gardens history to attract a sell-out crowd of over 18,000.
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Scotiabank Arena
Scotiabank Arena is home to the 2019 World Champions Toronto Raptors basketball team and second home to Nav Bhatia a.k.a. the Raptors Superfan. Nav has attended every Toronto Raptors home game since 1995, declaring him to be a true Superfan. Nav Bhatia explains why his front-row seat A12 is so important to him. “The whole world is looking at the seat,” he says. “Some see Indian. Some see Canadians. Some see both. Some see a turban. I hope they see diversity and loyalty. I hope they see why Canada is so special.” Nav currently runs the Superfan Foundation as a way to unite people through the love of the sport. When the Toronto Raptors became world champions by winning the NBA (National Basketball Association) title in 2019, Nav Bhatia was the parade marshal for the grand celebration attended by millions of Raptor fans.
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Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the Monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons. Sikh pioneers were disenfranchised in 1907 and advocated and fought for their right to vote in Canada for 40 years, finally regaining franchise in 1947. In 1993, Gurbax Singh Malhi was the first Sikh elected to the House of Commons in the federal election to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) along with Harbance (Herb) Singh Dhaliwal who in 1997 was the first Sikh appointment to Cabinet as Minister of Revenue. Ruby Dhalla was the first Sikh female along with Nina Grewal to serve as MP. In 2011 two Sikhs – Tim Uppal and Baljit Gosal were serving as Cabinet Ministers. In 2015 a record number of Sikhs were elected to serve as MP’s and four of them were appointed to Cabinet - Navdeep Singh Bains, Bardish Chagger, Amarjeet Sohi, and Harjit Singh Sajjan. Bardish Chagger made history as the first female Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Government House Leader). In 2019 Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) became the first Sikh to lead a major Canadian federal political party on a permanent basis in the House of Commons. In 2016, Sarabjit (Sabi) Marwah was the first Sikh to be appointed as a Senator to the Senate of Canada.
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Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) is the highest court of Canada, the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The Canadian Sikh community has had to many times, successfully advocate and argue before the Supreme Court of Canada to protect human rights and civil liberties. A few key decisions include Singh v Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1985] 1 S.C.R. 177. In the 1985 Singh case, the Supreme Court of Canada declared that the legal guarantees of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms apply to "everyone" physically present in Canada, including foreign asylum seekers. The court also said refugees have the right to a full oral hearing of their claims, before being either accepted into the country or deported. The decision drastically changed the way refugees are dealt with in Canada. In 1996, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear the challenge against wearing Sikh turbans in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In another key decision, Multani v Commission scolaire Marguerite‑Bourgeoys, [2006] 1 S.C.R. 256, 2006 SCC 6. A decision by the Supreme Court of Canada in which the Court struck down an order of a Quebec school authority, that prohibited a Sikh child from wearing a kirpan to school, as a violation of freedom of religion under section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
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Metcalfe Street
Metcalfe Street is named after Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe, GCB PC (30 January 1785 – 5 September 1846). Also known as Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt between 1822 and 1845, Metcalfe started his career as a British colonial administrator. In 1808 he was selected by Lord Minto for the responsible post of envoy to the court of Ranjit Singh at Lahore, Punjab; here, on 25 April 1809, he concluded the important treaty securing the independence of the Sikh states between the Sutlej and the Jumna. Metcalfe had a Sikh wife and three sons. During his vast geopolitical career, Metcalfe held appointments including acting Governor-General of India, Governor of Jamaica, and Governor-General of the Province of Canada. The Governor-General of the Province of Canada was the viceregal post of the pre-Confederation Province of Canada that existed from 1840 to the Canadian Confederation in 1867.
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Canadian Aviation & Space Museum
In June 1968, six Canadian servicemen were given the task of ferrying a Second World War B24 “Liberator” bomber half way round the world to its new home with the National aviation museum in Ottawa. The Liberator is a gift to the people of Canada from the Indian Air Force and was presented to the Canadian High Commissioner, James George by Sikh Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, chief of the Indian air staff at a ceremony in New Delhi on May 27th, 1968.
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Governor General House
Established in 1967 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System. The Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is Sovereign of the order, and the serving governor general, is its Chancellor and Principal Companion and administers the order on behalf of the Sovereign. The Order recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation. The Order recognizes people in all sectors of Canadian society. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country. In 1997, Naranjan Singh Dhalla (Winnipeg) was made a member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour, for having distinguished himself in the field of cardiovascular research as well as Gurcharan Singh Bhatia (Edmonton), for in addition to his journalistic efforts to promote multiculturalism, he has served two consecutive terms as a member of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Throughout his life, he has advocated the recognition of the dignity of all people.
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Metcalfe, Ottawa
The town of Metcalfe Ontario is named after Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe, GCB PC (30 January 1785 – 5 September 1846), known as Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt between 1822 and 1845. As a British colonial administrator, in 1808 he was selected by Lord Minto for the responsible post of envoy to the court of Ranjit Singh at Lahore; here, on 25 April 1809, he concluded the important treaty securing the independence of the Sikh states between the Sutlej and the Jumna. Metcalfe had a Sikh wife and three sons. He held appointments including acting Governor-General of India, Governor of Jamaica and Governor General of the Province of Canada. The Governor General of the Province of Canada was the vice regal post of the pre-Confederation Province of Canada that existed from 1840 to Canadian Confederation in 1867.
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Hundal House
Ikball Singh Hundal who arrived in 1913/1914 along with his siblings was one of only a handful of Sikh children who were allowed entry into Canada as exceptions to the restrictions placed on Sikh families including wives and children coming into Canada from 1900-1920. He went on to obtain a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1925. He later moved to Oshawa Ontario residing 287 Richmond Street E and was employed in the inspection department with General Motor Corporation of Canada and later sought employment with Chrysler Motors Corporation in Detroit Michigan.
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Pte. Hari Singh
Private Hari Singh served for Canada in World War One (WWI- Service Number: 139181) . He Signed his attestation papers on July 13, 1915, in Toronto and was originally assigned to the 75th Btn, and then served with the 198th Btn, and 3rd Reserve Btn, Royal Canadian Dragoons. His military record preceded the war, where he served with the 5th Bombay Cavalry Sindhars before moving to Canada. Prior to serving, he was working as a caretaker at the Canadian Courier Company. After the war he worked at Toronto Carpet Manufacturers and Canadian Corps of Commissionaires. His last know addresses were 783 Gerrard East, and 395 Ossington Av, Toronto.
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Mount Hope Cemetery
While recovering from his war wounds in England Private Buckam Singh contracted tuberculosis and spent his final days in a Kitchener, Waterloo Ontario military hospital, dying at age 25 in 1919. Private Singh is buried with a military marker (grave/headstone) at the Mount Hope Cemetery near the War Cenotaph.
On August 9, 1916, The Toronto Daily Star reported the following news from the front. PTE. BUKUM SINGH, the first Sikh to enlist with an Ontario battalion has been twice wounded since he went to the front. He was engaged as a farmhand for W. H. Moore, of Rosebank Ont., when the call came for active service. He was reported injured for the first time two months ago. His name appears among the wounded in to-day's list. Bukum Singh came to Canada from Punjab in 1907. After mining in British Columbia he came to Toronto about two years ago. He went overseas with a Kingston battalion.
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Moore Farm, Rosebank
William Henry (W. H.) Moore was a very influential Canadian. He was an accomplished lawyer, author, executive, lecturer, and politician. What he endeared most was his stone house and farming on a sprawling 175 acres just east of the Rouge River in Rosebank, Pickering Ontario (Moorelands). It was through his farm that he became acquainted with a number of early influential pioneers Sikhs, some of whom he employed as farmhands in the summer of 1914. These included Buckam Singh Bains, Kapoor Singh Sidhoo, Piara (Karam) Singh Langeri. W. H. Moore was very supportive in helping the early Sikh pioneers in what every way possible and even advocated for Piara Singh Langeri when he was imprisoned by the British for his involvement with the Gadar movement in Punjab for independence from the British.
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Bellevue House
Home to Canada’s first Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald. In 1867 Macdoanld, completed the British North American Act (BNA Act/ the Act). The Act created a federal dominion and defines much of the operation of the Government of Canada, including its federal structure, the House of Commons, the Senate, the justice system, and the taxation system. It is a major part of the Constitution of Canada, and the anniversary of the Act's entry into force on 1 July 1867 is celebrated annually in Canada as Canada Day, Canada's national holiday. In a letter penned to an acquaintance friend in April 1867, John A. Macdonald writes… I have been in England since November & have at last succeeded. I sail in four days for Canada with the act uniting all British America in my pocket. A brilliant future would certainly await us were it not for those wretched Yankees who hunger & thirst for Naboth’s field – War will come someday between England & the United States and India can do us Yeoman’s service by sending an army of Sikhs – Ghoorkas, Belooches etc. etc. across the Pacific to San Francisco and holding that beautiful & immoral City with the surrounding California – as security for Montreal & Canada.
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Toronto Pearson International Airport
The airport’s namesake Lester B. Pearson, was a Canadian scholar, statesman, soldier, Prime Minister, and diplomat, who won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1972, he wrote the foreword for the autobiography of Hardit Singh (H. S.) Malik, A little work, a Little Play. “I consider it a privilege to write a foreword to the memoirs of an old and valued friend, H. S. Malik…My friendship with the author goes back long years. During World War One we were both officers in the Royal Flying Corps in which he served with such distinction. A few years later we found ourselves as students together at Oxford University. Here we shared a common love of games…” . Sardar Hardit Singh Malik was the first turbaned Sikh pilot in World War One and was commanded by the famous Canadian William Barker – V.C. Sardar Malik as served as India’s High Commissioner to Canada, and spoke a couple of times at the Empire Club of Canada.
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Churchill Avenue
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician, army officer, and writer. He was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1940 to July 1945, when he led the country to victory in the Second World War, and again from October 1951 to April 1955. The town and village of Malton situated in Mississauga next to Toronto has a long history of military and aerospace engineering. A vibrant town during the World Wars, many streets had reference to the war including Lancaster (Lancaster Bomber), Merit, Victory, and Churchill. Winston Churchill always admired the military prowess of the Sikhs, and he had first hand experience serving with them early in his military career. Winston Churchill served with 31st Punjab Regiment, Bengal Infantry, Indian Army, part of the 1st brigade, Malakand Field Force: NW Frontier of India, and the 35th Sikh Regiment, Bengal Infantry, Indian Army, part of the 2nd brigade, Malakand Field Force: NW Frontier of India, in 1897.
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Aga Khan Museum
The Aga Khan Museum is a museum of Islamic art, Iranian art, and Muslim culture. The aim of the Aga Khan Museum is to offer unique insights and new perspectives into Islamic civilizations and the cultural threads that weave through history binding us all together. The Museum also serves as a centre of education and of learning, and that it will act as a catalyst for mutual understanding and tolerance. The Museum has a couple of Sikh related artifacts.
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The Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the deliberative assembly of the Legislature of Ontario. The Assembly meets at the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park in the provincial capital of Toronto. Many Sikhs have and continue to serve as Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPP). The first in Ontario to be elected was Raminder Singh Gill in 1999. Harinder Jeet Singh Takhar was the first to serve as Minister (Transportation) in 2003. Amrit Mangat was the first Sikh female MPP in Ontario, and Harinder Kaur Malhi was the first to be appointed Minister (Status of Women) in 2018. Jagmeet Singh served as Deputy House Leader for the New Democrat Party in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
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Seva Food Bank
Seva Food Back (Seva – Selfless Service) is an initiative of Sikhs Serving Canada that intends to address the challenges of food security, poverty reduction, and economic renewal in the communities it serves. The success of the programs and initiatives of Seva Food Bank has inspired many Sikhs across Canada and around the world, to launch spinoffs to adopt the spirit of serving meals to those in need.
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Nathan Philips Square
The largest annual gathering of Sikhs in Canada occurs annually in late April to coincide with the Vaisakhi festival which has religious importance for Sikhs. On Vaisakhi day, April 13, 1699 the Sikh order – Khalsa was established. On Vaisakhi, Gurdwaras are decorated and hold kirtans, Sikhs visit local Gurdwaras, community fairs, and Nagar Kirtan processions are held. People gather to socialize and share festive foods. Over 100 000 Sikhs from across Ontario gather in Toronto to take part in the annual Nagar Kirtan religious procession which concludes with a gathering at Toronto City Hall in Nathan Philips Square.
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Guru Nanak Street
In November 2019, the City of Brampton unveiled its new Guru Nanak Street as part of the city’s recognition of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary. Guru Nanak, who lived from 1469 to 1539 in the Punjab region of South Asia, was an advocate for human rights, gender equality, and the promotion of unity between all human beings. There are approximately 150,000 to 200,000 Sikhs in Brampton.
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Singh Lake
Naming approved on May 26, 2020 in memory of Private Lashman (Loal, Laal) Singh, 219222, 75th Battalion, killed in action in World War I, October 24, 1918 at the age of 33. One of the first Sikh Canadians to serve in the Canadian military. Singh Lake is located in the municipality of the District of Algoma in the township of Ashley.
Manitoba
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Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is a Canadian Crown Corporation and the national museum. The purpose of the museum is to explore the subject of human rights with a special but not exclusive reference to Canada, to enhance the public's understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others and to encourage reflection and dialogue. The story of the Komagata Maru is part of the Canadian Journey gallery featured on a digital canvas across a 29-metre screen Protecting Rights in Canada gallery features which also looks at Canada’s evolving legal framework features the Supreme Court of Canada decision of Multani v Commission scolaire Marguerite‑Bourgeoys, [2006] regarding the Sikh kirpan. In the Action Counts gallery, it shows the work of Sikh youth from Calgary and Jaswant Singh Kalra in promoting and advocating for human rights and justice.
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Manitoba Legislative Building
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at provincial general elections. Dr. Gulzaar Singh Cheema served in the Manitoba Legislature from 1988-1993 (He also served in British Columbia from 2001-2004), and Diljeet Brar was elected in 2019 as a MLA.
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Sikh Society of Manitoba
Established in 1969, the Sikh Society of Manitoba has been at the heart of the Sikh community for 50 years and the foremost advocate for the community. In 1969, a small group of Sikh immigrants rented a space and formed the Sikh Society of Manitoba, Inc. In 1983, they broke ground on a piece of frozen land and built their permanent home. Today, it is Manitoba's oldest and largest Gurdwara.
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Inderjit Claire Park
Named for educator and community activist Inderjit Singh Claire, an official dedication ceremony for the Park was held in October 2016 when a plaque was unveiled. In recognition of his community service, he was awarded the 125th Anniversary of Confederation of Canada Medal (1992) and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002).
“Inderjit Singh Claire moved to Winnipeg in 1986, but left a deep and lasting impact in this community. It’s fitting his name will be remembered here for many years.” Rossmere MLA Andrew Micklefield said in a statement.
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Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park is one of the largest urban prairie parks in Winnipeg. The park is named after martyr Bhagat Singh to honour the sacrifice he made in the freedom struggle. The park was inaugurated in August 2018 and is located in the beautiful neighbourhood of Bridgwater Trails.
The landscape architect Nadi Design oversaw the park project. Nadi Design included prairie grasses and trees at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park, dedicating over 35 acres of land to sustainable native plantings. Various sports activities such as bocce ball, volleyball, basketball, baseball and ultimate Frisbee have been integrated into the park.
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Apee Panchhi Park
The Apee Panchhi Park was officially opened in Transcona, Winnipeg in August 2017. The park's namesake, Panchhi has been an active businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. “Mr. Apee Panchhi is an example of the Canadian Dream,” said Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) in a release on Saturday. “He came with very little to Canada and turned adversity into opportunity, and by doing so, has made our community and Winnipeg better for it.”
Located south of El Tassi Drive, at Fiorentino Street, Apee Panchhi Park is a neighbourhood park along the multi-use active transportation path which boasts a new play structure, swing set, benches, mini soccer field, as well as new trees and fencing.
Saskatchewan
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Baltej Singh Dhillon
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police colloquially known as the "Mounties". As Canada's national police force, the RCMP is primarily responsible for enforcing federal laws throughout Canada. The RCMP also provides provincial policing in eight of Canada's provinces. RCMP Academy, Depot Division has been providing police training to Royal Canadian Mounted Police "cadets" since its establishment in 1885.
In 1988, Baltej Singh Dhillon decides to formally apply to join the RCMP. Though he meets all the entrance requirements, there's one significant problem: the dress code forbids beards and wearing a turban in place of the uniform hat. It took 2 years (March 1990) for the announcement of changes to the RCMP dress code to include a turban and beard. As a result, Dhillon joins the RCMP, trains in Regina and graduates to active duty in 1991.
However, protesters continue to rail against the dress code changes. Dhillon receives anonymous death threats in the mail. Critics in some Canadian municipalities and a group of retired Mounties launch legal challenges to the changes. All fail and, by 1996, the government's decision is confirmed by the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Court of Canada.
In fact, there is a long tradition of the turban as part of military and policing uniform under the British Empire, including many other RCMP uniform aspects that predate the RCMP worn by the Punjab Cavalry.
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Sikh Society of Regina
The Sikh Society of Regina’s first gurdwara in Saskatchewan was originally housed at 639 Pasqua Street. The community relocated to the present location at 3905 Princess Dr in 2013.
Alberta
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The Military Museums
Sardar Hardit Singh Malik, already had a long and distinguished military career as a fiying ace, serving in World War One with the Royal Flying Corps alongside future Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B Pearson and commanded by William Barker. He also had a decorated career as a statesman and diplomat and in 1947 served as India’s High Commissioner to Canada. In May 1948, he presented a sword to a Calgary Regiment. Sardar Malik presented the King’s Own Calgary Regiment with an Indian Mahratta warrior’s sword in commemoration of the days when the regiment and the 1st Battalion Mahratta Light Infantry served together in Italy during the Second World War. The King’s Own Calgary Regiment also served with Sikhs in Italy. The sword is on display at the Military Museums in the King’s Own Calgary Regiment (KOCR) Gallery.
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Manmeet Singh Bhullar School
On June 30, 2016, the Calgary Board of Education announced that a public school in the community of Martindale would be named after the late Manmeet Singh Bhullar. In September of 2016, the school welcomed its first students. Students say they’re proud to attend a new school named after a respected politician and community advocate.
Bhullar’s sister says it was her brother’s goal to inspire young people to realize they could make a difference. “I hope that this building builds future leaders just like Manmeet,” Tarjinder Bhullar said. “That is the absolutely amazing thing, is that for the years that they are here, they will learn about him hands-on and they will recognize that in them lives a little bit of him.”
With great beard comes great responsibility – Manmeet Singh Bhullar
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Manmeet Singh Bhullar Park
Manmeet Singh Bhullar Park…..Where everyone comes together.
Opened in 2018 and located along the Rotary-Mattamy Greenway in Taradale, Calgary, close to where Manmeet and his wife Namrita lived, this is an initiative of the Calgary Parks Foundation with the support of the Calgary Foundation, The City of Calgary and the Government of Alberta.
Designed by Ground3 Landscape Architects, Manmeet Singh Bhullar Park encompasses 5 hectares, featuring colourful groves of trees, a gathering plaza and distinctive harvest tables that seat up to 20 people.
The greatness of humanity, the greatness instilled in every human being, the greatness of serving is to be realized and developed. That is my hope, that is my dream. - Manmeet Singh Bhullar
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Singh Hari Park
Sikhs have been making Alberta their home since the early 1900s prior to Alberta becoming a province in 1905. Many arrived in Alberta and worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway, in sawmills and on farms. In 2014 Calgary commemorated one of its first Sikh settlers, naming a park in honour of Harnam Singh Hari, in Kingsland, the community that occupies the land where he established his farm in 1909 and became a very successful farmer.
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Alberta Legislature
The Alberta Legislature Building is located in Edmonton and is the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly and the Executive Council. It has occasionally been shortened to "the Ledge". Sikhs have and continue to serve in the Ledge. The late Manmeet Singh Bhullar was the first Sikh to hold a Minister portfolio and Rajan Sawhney the first Sikh female to serve as Minister.
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Sohan Singh Bhullar Park
Sohan Singh Bhullar Park is an ornamental park in Millwoods, named after Sohan Singh Bhullar (1882- 1968), one of the early immigrants to Canada and Edmonton from India. Bhullar Park was opened in his memory in 1985. However, the history and identity of Sohan Singh Bhullar was gradually lost among hundreds of people with similar surnames now living in Edmonton. To better honor his memory, the City renamed the park to Sohan Singh Bhullar in June 2013.
According to the City records, Sohan Singh Bhullar came to Canada in 1900 from the agricultural province of Punjab, India when he was just 18 years old. He moved to Alberta in 1907. His time in Canada began as a farm labourer and gradually he made a career in agriculture by securing farmlands. Until 1953 he lived and worked in Green Court, Noyes Crossing and Calahoo, finally settling in Edmonton.
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Nanaksar Gurdwara
The first two Gurdwara’s in Alberta literally opened at the same time. One in Calgary with a groundbreaking ceremony in April 1976 and the other in Edmonton with an opening ceremony in April 1976. The Nanaksar Gurdwara in Edmonton was originally located at 4603 118 Ave from 1976 to 1996. The current location on Horsehills Road opened in 1996. The Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple is more than just a “Little Gurdwara on the Prairie.” At 30,000 square feet, it is the largest Gurdwara (‘Gateway to the Guru’, or temple) in Alberta, and still growing and sprawling on a 90 acre site for which 20 acres are set aside for the Gurdwara complex
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Sikh Society of Calgary
The first two Gurdwara’s in Alberta literally opened at the same time. One in Calgary with a ground breaking ceremony in April 1976 and the other in Edmonton with an opening ceremony in April 1976. Three years after breaking ground the Sikh Society of Calgary officially opened its Gurdwara in April 1979. Since then, Sikh Society of Calgary has been a pillar of Sikhism in Calgary for over 40 years. As one of the first Gurudwara's in Calgary, the Sikh Society of Calgary is proud to be an active and steadfast institution that promotes and practices Sikhism.
British Columbia
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Town of Paldi
A small town that is often identified as epitomizing the South Asian and Sikh rural experience in B.C., Paldi is a small logging community on Vancouver Island. Located between Duncan and Lake Cowichan, and originally called Mayo, this town was founded by Mayo Singh and his partner Kapoor Singh in the early 1900s. The former townsite included a lumber mill, company store, school, post office, Japanese and Sikh temples, and bunkhouses for workers and housing for families of South Asian, Japanese, Chinese, and European heritage. The first gurdwara in Paldi was opened in 1917.
The population began to decline after the construction of a new, modern mill in Nanaimo in 1965 as many workers and their families moved to be closer to their new place of work. Paldi is Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Gur Sikh Temple
Opened in 1911, this historic place is one of the most significant testaments in the province to the pride, vision, and steadfastness of B.C.’s pioneer Sikh community. According to Parks Canada, “(t)he Sikh Temple is the oldest surviving example of the temples which formed the religious, social and political centre of pioneer Canadian Sikh communities. It has been restored to its original aesthetic and spiritual distinction. Gur Sikh Temple was designated a National Historic Site in 2002, with the designated declared by prime minister Jean Chrétien at a ceremony on July 26 of 2002. It is also
Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Sikh Temple
The first and oldest Sikh Gurdwara in North America was opened by the Khalsa Diwan Society in January 1908 on 1866 West 2nd Avenue in Vancouver (Kitsilano). It is often referred to as simply the 2nd Ave Gurdwara. Its architectural design comes from the Sikh Gurdwara in Hong Kong and mirrors the 5 arches and the two doors with a triangle on top of each.
The Khalsa Diwan Society was the most active Sikh organization since its inception on July 22nd, 1902. The Khalsa Diwan Society has played a major role in social and economic development of the Sikh community in British Columbia for over a century. The society has been a pioneer in raising Sikh related issues and getting recognition for Sikhs in Canada. The Society played a key role in the Komagata Maru affair in the early 1900′s and other major events in BC and Canada.
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Kapoor Regional Park
Kapoor Regional Park Reserve is in the seaside community of Sooke, one of thirteen communities that form the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. The twelve and half hectare nature parkland was rehabilitated from the remnants of the mining and logging in the early nineteen hundreds. The town site of Leechtown lies nearby. This parkland is remote and can be reach by hiking, walking or cycling along the Galloping Goose Trail to the end of the line, at kilometer fifty five and half. The park was established in 1999 and commemorates a visionary pioneer lumberman Kapoor Singh Siddoo. The Siddoo family donated the lands which border along the eastern side of the upper section of the Sooke River. The University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry offers scholarships to forestry students through the Kapoor Singh Siddoo Foundation, established in 1967.
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Westminster Pier Park
Pier Park recognizes Wesminsterites who have helped shape the town including Bhai Bishan Singh. In 1919, many Sikhs worked at the Fraser Saw Mills. Bhai Bishan Singh was amongst them. He owned a house at 344 Boyne Street, where he installed the Holy scripture Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and held congregations on Sundays.
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Mahal Cranberry Farm
This historic place is representative of the significant contributions of South Asian contributions to the development and evolution of the agricultural industry in the Lower Mainland and throughout B.C. The property was originally the 1911 Rathburn dairy farm; the still-existing house is significant as one of the few remaining farmhouses that recall a Richmond farm of the early twentieth century. The Mahal family, long-time farmers from the Fraser Valley, purchased the property in 1949 and transformed it into a 78-acre farm with extensive cranberry fields and nursery stock. The place is valued for its continuous agricultural use and ownership by the Mahal family from 1949 until the present day. It is Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Mewa Singh
Simcoe Park was formerly the site of the New Westminster Gaol, which operated there from 1885 to 1915. This place has historic, cultural, social and spiritual value for the Sikh community for being the prison which held and carried out the execution of Mewa Singh (Lapoke), regarded as an icon and martyr in the Sikh community. Mewa Singh was a participant in rebelling against the harassment of South Asian Canadians by the Immigration Department, ultimately surrendering after the shooting death of an immigration officer.
Mewa Singh’s actions were seen as key in helping to re-establish peace in the Sikh community. Singh has halls and libraries named after him, and his picture is displayed in many of the province’s gurdwaras. This site is Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Vancouver Art Gallery
Four Boats Stranded: Red and Yellow, Black and White
Taking into account several important attributes of the Vancouver Art Gallery's site, Ken Lum has created a work that serves as a directional, geographical, and historical marker. The four installed boats include scaled-down versions of a First Nations Longboat, Captain Vancouver's ship, the Komagata Maru (the infamous 1914 Indian immigrant ship), and a cargo ship that recently carried migrants from China's Fujian Province. The boats are each painted a single colour which speaks to a colonial stereotyping of cultural, racial, and historical identification. The First Nations boat is red, Captain Vancouver's ship is white, the Komagata Maru is black and the Fujian ghost ship is yellow.
The Vancouver Art Gallery is located in the former Vancouver Court House. This is the site of the Court House where Bhai Mewa Singh Lopoke Ji entered the Vancouver courthouse at 800 Hornby Street and fatally shot immigration official William C. Hopkinson. Hopkinson’s death was the apex in a series of clashes between the authorities, their informants, and Vancouver's Sikh community following the forced departure of the Komagata Maru. Bhai Mewa Singh’s trial and eventual sentencing to death also took place at the Vancouver Court House.
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Khalsa Diwan Society & Komagata Maru Museum
The Khalsa Diwan Society is a pioneer Sikh society formed on July 22nd, 1902 in Canada. It was formally established in 1906. In 1908, the Society purchased and built the first Sikh Gurdwara at 1866 West 2nd Avenue, which was inaugurated on January 19th, 1908. The Khalsa Diwan Society, host to the Gurdwara on Khalsa Diwan Road (formerly Ross Street) is the original and founding organization for establishing Gurdwaras in Canada. The first and original Gurdwara at 1866 West 2nd Avenue became to small for the growing congregation and was sold in 1970 to purchase and build the Gurdwara on Khalsa Diwan Road (formerly Ross Street). The firm Erickson/Massey Architects was hired, and famed Canadian architect Arthur Erickson designed the Gurdwara. This location hosts the Komagata Maru Museum which was Established in 2012.
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Komagata Maru Memorial
The Komagata Maru Memorial in Harbour Green Park was designed by LEES + Associates and unveiled in 2012. Steel panels, set within the surrounding landscape, simulate the ships hull with small openings to reflect the cascading waves of Vancouver’s harbour and also feature the names of the passengers. A centrally located glass panel provides a historical narrative of the incident for visitors, and presents a poignant historic image from a tragic day in Canadian immigration history. A commemorative plaque was added in 2016.
The Komagata Maru steamed into Vancouver on May 23, 1914. Its passengers, all British subjects, mostly Sikhs from Punjab, India challenged the racist Continuous Journey regulation. After two months under difficult conditions, the ship and its 376 passengers were denied entry into Canada and were forced to leave. This was the first time in Canadian history that Canada turned away a migrant ship, ironically of fellow British Subjects. Many monuments and markers pay tribute to the passengers of the Komagata Maru throughout British Columbia.
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Komagata Maru 75th Anniversary Memorial
The Komagata Maru steamed into Vancouver on May 23, 1914. Its passengers, all British subjects, mostly Sikhs from Punjab, India challenged the racist Continuous Journey regulation. After two months under difficult conditions, the ship and its 376 passengers were denied entry into Canada and were forced to leave. This was the first time in Canadian history that Canada turned away a migrant ship, ironically of fellow British Subjects. Many monuments and markers pay tribute to the passengers of the Komagata Maru throughout British Columbia. On the 75th anniversary of the Komagata Maru, a plaque was commissioned to recognize the unfortunate incident of racial discrimination and remind Canadians of our commitment to an open society in which mutual respect and understanding are honoured, differences are respected and traditions are cherished.
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Komagata Maru Memorial Plaque
The Komagata Maru steamed into Vancouver on May 23, 1914. Its passengers, all British subjects, mostly Sikhs from Punjab, India challenged the racist Continuous Journey regulation. After two months under difficult conditions, the ship and its 376 passengers were denied entry into Canada and were forced to leave. This was the first time in Canadian history that Canada turned away a migrant ship, ironically of fellow British Subjects. The passengers spent a total of 6 months onboard the ship. On the 100th anniversary, a commemorative Komagata Maru stamp was produced by Canada Post. Long overdue, in fact 102 years later, a formal apology was given in the House of Commons by the Canadian government. Many monuments and markers pay tribute to the passengers of the Komagata Maru throughout British Columbia. On the 75th anniversary of the Komagata Maru, in 1989 a plaque was commissioned and placed near the Nishan Sahib (Flag) at the Khalsa Diwan Road (formerly Ross Street) Sikh Temple Gurdwara.
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Ghost of Komagata Maru
From atop a grassy knoll or the small pier jutting into Burrard Inlet, this is a good place to get a close look at Vancouver’s working port, with views of the colourful containers, cruise ships, heliport, and SeaBuses. Arriving from the Main Street overpass, two Chinese lion statues frame views of the peaks of the Lions; several more beautiful and moving monuments and sculptures can be found throughout the park including a beautiful tile mosaic of the Komagata Maru near the sidewalk on Main Street.
The Komagata Maru steamed into Vancouver on May 23, 1914. Its passengers, all British subjects, mostly Sikhs from Punjab, India challenged the racist Continuous Journey regulation. After two months under difficult conditions, the ship and its 376 passengers were denied entry into Canada and were forced to leave. This was the first time in Canadian history that Canada turned away a migrant ship, ironically of fellow British Subjects. The passengers spent a total of 6 months onboard the ship. On the 100th anniversary, a commemorative Komagata Maru stamp was produced by Canada Post. Long overdue, in fact 102 years later, a formal apology was given in the House of Commons by the Canadian government. Many monuments and markers pay tribute to the passengers of the Komagata Maru throughout British Columbia.
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Komagata Maru Way
Many monuments and markers pay tribute to the passengers of the Komagata Maru throughout British Columbia. In 2019, Surrey renamed a street the Komagata Maru Way as Mayor Doug McCallum said, renaming the street is proof that the citizens of the city won't forget past injustices.
The Komagata Maru steamed into Vancouver on May 23, 1914. Its passengers, all British subjects, mostly Sikhs from Punjab, India challenged the racist Continuous Journey regulation. After two months under difficult conditions, the ship and its 376 passengers were denied entry into Canada and were forced to leave. This was the first time in Canadian history that Canada turned away a migrant ship, ironically of fellow British Subjects. The passengers spent a total of 6 months onboard the ship. On the 100th anniversary, a commemorative Komagata Maru stamp was produced by Canada Post. Long overdue, in fact, 102 years later, a formal apology was given in the House of Commons by the Canadian government.
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The British Columbia Regiment
(Duke of Connaught’s Own)
The Komagata Maru steamed into Vancouver on May 23, 1914. Its passengers, all British subjects, mostly Sikhs from Punjab, India challenged the racist Continuous Journey regulation. During the 2 month standoff in Burrard Inlet between the Komagata Maru and the Canadian Government, the authorities used and deployed as much “muscle” as possible including the first deployment of the Canadian Warship HMCS Rainbow, one of Canada's first two naval vessels, local militia as well members of the Duke of Connaught’s Own (DCO) regiment to show force and strength in denying entry of the Komagata Maru and its passengers into Canada.
Ironically enough, prior to becoming Minister of National Defence for Canada, the Hon. Harjit Singh Sajjan joined The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) in 1989 as a trooper and was commissioned as an officer in 1991. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and In 2011, he became the first Sikh to command a Canadian Army reserve regiment when he was named commander of The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own).
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Todd Inlet
Constructed in 1904, the former community of Tod Inlet is historically significant as the site of the first cement factory on the west coast and its associated limestone quarry and clay mining site. Tod Inlet is culturally significant as the former workplace and worker’s village for Chinese Canadian, South Asian Canadian, and First Nations employed at the Vancouver Portland Cement Company, part of a segregated working community typical of that time. Historian, researcher, and archeologist, Dr. David Gray directed Searching for the Sikhs of Tod Inlet (2007). It is a documentary film about 40 Sikhs who came to Victoria in 1906 to work at the Tod Inlet cement plant and in the limestone quarry that is now the site of the world-famous Butchart Gardens.
This now-vanished community has an important place in the history of Sikhs in British Columbia, helping to articulate the story of a multi-racial community that functioned smoothly at a time when racism was leading to rampant discrimination elsewhere in B.C. This site is Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Sikh Pioneers
This iconic image of pioneer Sikh men crossing the street at Granville and Hastings streets was taken in 1908 by a street photographer. These photographers, would take pictures of local citizens in public and then make them available at their studio.
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Grewall Crescent
Naranjan Singh Grewall came to B.C. in 1925 and in 1941 moved to Mission City, a small mill town in the Fraser Valley. He holds the distinction of being the first Sikh elected to any level of Government in Canada. He was elected to city council in Mission, BC in 1950 and appointed as Mayor in 1954. In November 1995, the Mission City Council named a street Grewall Crescent. It was the city's way of acknowledging the contributions of the Late Naranjan Singh Grewall.
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Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Legislative Assembly meets in Victoria. The first Sikhs elected to any Provincial office including Ministerial posts and Premier were elected in B.C. This included the likes of Munmohan Singh "Moe" Sihota, (MLA – 1986, Minister 1991), Satinder Kaur "Sindi" Hawkins (MLA – 1996, Minister 2001), and Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, serving as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001.
Inside the atrium of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, partnering with Indus Media Foundation is a permanent display of the history of Punjabi Sikh Soldiers.
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Punjabi Market
The Punjabi Market district is a collection of small businesses and stores centered on south Main Street in Vancouver which has historically catered to the Punjabi community. The Sikh community in Vancouver grew due to a large influx of Punjabi people who settled in South Vancouver, and South Asian culture became woven into the city’s fabric. This historic place illustrates the evolution and development of South Asian business in the 1970s. This spirit of urban entrepreneurship followed an early history of successful South Asian Canadian involvement in the lumber industry throughout the province.
Because traditional Indian products such as food and fabrics were difficult to find, people from all over B.C. and other provinces made the Punjabi Market a destination in Vancouver. The market is one of the gathering spots during Vaisakhi celebrations and has been recognized with bilingual signs in English and Punjabi. It is Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Jazzy B – Walk of Fame
Crown Prince of Bhangra' Jazzy B joins B.C. Hall of Entertainment Fame. Jazzy B grew up in Surrey, B.C., and now travels between Canada, India, and the U.K. Legendary bhangra musician Jazzy B was inducted into B.C.'s Hall of Fame in September 2016, earning a star on Vancouver's Granville Street.
"It's a great moment for me, a great moment for my family, my friends," said Jaswinder Singh Bains, known to his fans as Jazzy B or the "Crown Prince of Bhangra." Bains is the first Sikh and South Asian star to join the walk of fame.
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Joginder Bains Park
This small park is a memorial to a citizen and forest industry entrepreneur who believed in Canadian values while cherishing his own spiritual and cultural legacy as a Sikh and South Asian. Joginder Singh Bains was instrumental in the fight for South Asian citizenship and the right to vote, and for the recognition of the significance of B.C.’s First Nations, many of whom he employed in his logging and lumber companies. As one who believed in helping those who needed work by providing employment, this historic place commemorates the work ethic and dedication to social causes of this individual. The Park is Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Kapoor Sawmill
What is now known at Barnet Marine Park, is the former site of Kapoor Sawmill. The founder Mr. Kapoor Singh Siddoo first emigrated to America in 1906 where he primarily worked along the Southern Pacific Railway line near Marysville, California, toward Reno, Nevada. Kapoor then decided to travel on up the west coast into Canada in 1912. After a brief stint of homesteading in Ontario in 1914 for a year, Kapoor moved back to British Columbia. A few years later along with Mayo Singh and Doman Singh, they ventured into the sawmill and lumbermill industry as entrepreneurs on Vancouver Island. The Kapoor Sawmill on the mainland in Barnet, Burnaby was purchased in 1939 and closed in 1959. In 1972, the land was sold back to the Municipality of Burnaby for approximately $3.5 million, who later turned it into the Barnet Marine Park.
Kapoor Mill and Railway
Kapoor is a former town and railway station centred on a sawmill site that was established in early 1900s by Kapoor Singh Siddoo and two associated lumber industry barons and community leaders, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh. Originally a joint owner of the successful Paldi lumbering community, Kapoor Singh started as a labourer in B.C.’s sawmills in the early 1900s, and becoming renowned for his establishment of a significant lumbering business among other enterprises.
The historic place at Kapoor is notable for its early provision of employment to establish and support hundreds of South Asian families. At its heart was Kapoor Singh, the community leader revered for his openness to, and respect for people of other cultures. Chinese, Japanese, Sikhs, European and Canadian workers all lived and worked in this community. Part of the former town has since been designated a regional park. Kapoor- Sooke is Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Jack Uppal Street
For the first time, the City of Vancouver named a street after one of its most famous Sikh pioneers who arrived to British Columbia as an infant in 1926. In 2016, Council voted to designate Jagat “Jack” Uppal Street in South Vancouver's River District to commemorate the philanthropist and business leader who has been credited with uniting his community and fighting discrimination. Uppal owned Goldwood Industries on Mitchell Island, one of the oldest sawmills in B.C. The mill was located on the north arm of the Fraser, on what is now the River District. A connection to the lumber industry on the Fraser River that fits well with the River District’s sawmill history and honourably represents the large number of Sikhs who worked at the Canadian White Pine Mill.
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Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre
Renamed in 2011 as the BC Cancer Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior, the Centre provides cancer patients and their families with the services they require close to home. A nurse and a lawyer, Ahluwalia Hawkins served as an MLA, as Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations, Deputy Speaker and as Minister of Health Planning. She championed for better cancer care and research throughout British Columbia who battled her own form of cancer (acute myeloid) for seven years until 2010.
Sandra Broughton, regional administrator, Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior, BC Cancer Agency - "Sindi was always a champion for patients and families. It is an honour that our regional cancer centre is named after this courageous woman who publicly shared her cancer journey and in spirit will continue to share and be recognized at the BC Cancer Agency Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior." Manohar Singh Ahluwalia, Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins's father - "May this renamed centre inspire others and give them the courage and strength to continue to fight, just as my valiant girl, Sindi, did."
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Sikh Temple Victoria
Originally established in 1912, making it British Columbia’s third Sikh temple, the Sikh Gurdwara in Victoria is located at 1210 Topaz Avenue in Victoria. The original handsome brick and wood structure was the heart of the early South Asian Canadian community in Victoria, many of whose residents found work in nearby timber mills along Victoria’s Gorge waterway, or elsewhere in Vancouver Island’s thriving forest industry. It had a traditional langar hall serving free meals, and was a place for new immigrants to connect with the South Asian Canadian community.
The gurdwara’s contemporary building was constructed in 1969. In May 2012 the community marked a very significant occasion as it officially celebrated the gurdwara’s 100th anniversary. It is Provincially recognized under s. 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.
Yukon
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Whitehorse Sikh Society
The first Gurdwara in North America and Canada opened in 1908 in BC. Over 112 years later, Sikhs in some Provinces and Territories are still pursuing that mission. The Whitehorse Sikh Society has recently undertaken a campaign to “establish the first-ever Gurdwara Sahib in the Canadian North”. Currently, the local community is renting a building premise to host Gurdwara services.
Past to Future
Contact
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