With roots dating back to 1800s, April is Sikh Heritage Month in Canada
Darpan News Desk IANS, 03 Apr, 2023 11:41 AM
Chandigarh, April 2 (IANS) With roots dating back to the 1800s, April is Sikh Heritage Month -- a time to celebrate and honour the rich history and culture of Canada's Sikh community.
"With 800,000 Sikhs calling Canada home, we have the largest Sikh diaspora, with roots of the first Sikh in Canada dating back to the 1800s," said Punjab-origin Member of Parliament (MP) from Brampton West, Kamal Khera.
At 26, Khera was the youngest to have won in the elections in Canada in 2015. She represents Canada's ruling Liberal party.
"As a Sikh, I am proud of the contributions and achievements of our community!" she tweeted.
In one of her visits to Punjab, she said: "My counterpart in India is always with heavy security, I move freely."
Proud of vibrant Sikh community, Sonia Sidhu, MP from Brampton South, tweeted, "April 1 marks the beginning of Sikh Heritage Month in Canada and as Canadians, we are proud of our country's strong and vibrant Sikh community."
"This month, let's continue to learn about Sikh Heritage in Canada."
Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, said this year "we celebrate 10 years of Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario".
Among many of the events listed, he said he would also be hosting a special event to award Gurbax Singh Malhi the key to the Brampton city on April 18.
As a mark of respect for Canada making it the second largest Sikh population in the world, the Mississauga Civic Centre clock tower was lighted with orange, part of the city's Community Recognition Programme.
Learning the faith of the Sikhs, another MP Francesco Sorbara said, "During this month we recognise the contributions to our country by the more than 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage, learn about their faith and rich history."
Randeep Sarai, Member of Parliament for Surrey Centre, said, "This month, I encourage you all to take this opportunity to learn more about the Sikh faith!"
India-origin Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, said Sikh Heritage Month "is a time to recognise the many contributions of the Sikh community across Canada. Today, I joined members of the Oakville and Halton Sikh community at the flag raising at Oakville Town Hall".
"This is an opportunity for Ontarians to come together to learn more about the Sikh faith and celebrate the many ways Sikh Ontarians help build a stronger and better Ontario," said Ontario's Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Michael Ford.
MP for Vancouver South, Harjit Sajjan, said, "Learn about how the Sikh values of equality and 'seva' (selfless service) are reflected in what we as Canadians strive toward."
Another Punjab-origin Aman Singh, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough, added, "On behalf of our British Columbia New Democratic Party government, our caucus and colleagues at your opening gala for Sikh Heritage Month. I know there are many events planned throughout the month."
According to Sikh Heritage British Columbia, its philosophy is providing a space where the Sikh community can connect with each other and with neighbouring communities to help each other prosper, learn and grow.
Its promise is, "Create a space where Sikhs and non-Sikhs can come together to create connections and relationships for prosperity."
The ministry says the government's Community Emergency Preparedness Fund has previously supported projects that include a dike in Merritt, public cooling infrastructure in Victoria and tsunami evacuation planning in Tofino.
India was closely followed by China and the Philippines with 52,165 and 23,380 students, respectively. In 2021, a total of 444,260 new study permits took effect, an increase from the 400,600 in 2019.
The organization currently includes 37 exporters of timber and 38 countries that import it, including all other G7 states. Canada was among the signatories to the 1983 treaty that originally created the organization, but Stephen Harper's Conservative government pulled out of it in 2013.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that Canadian voters alone decided the last federal election, playing down the suggestion that China tried to unduly sway the outcome. The committee has been studying foreign interference in the 2019 federal election since November.
The Tseshaht First Nation is presenting its search results in Port Alberni, B.C., after 18 months of planning and operations at the former site of the Alberni Indian Residential School. Tseshaht Nation officials say children from at least 100 Indigenous communities attended the school when it operated from 1900 to 1973.
The Vancouver Police Department says the 32-year-old has been charged with attempted murder and discharging a firearm. In an earlier statement after the Sunday afternoon shooting, the department said officers were working on East Hastings Street around 2:30 p.m. when the 31-year-old victim was repeatedly shot.
