More than 200 members of the Canadian Armed Forces and 500 Sikh community members gathered at a Sikh gurdwara in Scarborough on Sunday
The ceremony celebrated Canadian soldiers, including Sikhs, who died in past wars, and recognized current service members.
“Everybody was just so happy. We were thanking them, they were thanking us,” said Pardeep Singh Nagra, executive director of the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada and one of the event’s organizers.
The Nov. 6 event marks the first time the 32 Canadian Brigade Group has moved its ceremony from a church to a Sikh gurdwara. But units in Western Canada have previously held Remembrance Day services at a Sikh place of worship.
An exhibit called "War and Faith," presented at the gurdwara in partnership with the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada, sheds light on the history of Sikh soldiers who fought in the first and second world wars.
According to a Canadian Armed Forces spokesperson, similar services have been held in Surrey, B.C. since 2010.
Attendees ended the day with a langar — a free communal meal served to everyone who came.
