SOME SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS IN SIKH-CANADIAN HISTORY 1897 Sikh Lancers and Infantry regiment visited Vancouver after celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in London, England. 1899 Arrival of some Sikhs in Vancouver and Victoria are from Hong Kong. 1904 The arrival of the first wave of Sikh immigrants. The census listed 258 Sikhs. 1904 Siri guru Granth Sahib Ji was first brought to Canada by Bhai Arjan Singh. The scriptures were located at a house in Port Moody. 1905 For the next three years, 5000 Sikhs came to Canada. 1906 A house was rented in Vancouver to start a Gurdwara. A resolution was adopted on July 22 to start the establishment of Khalsa Diwan Society. 1907 Sikhs were denied the right to vote when the government of B.C. passed a bill to disenfranchise all natives of India not born of Anglo-Saxon parents. 1907 Foundation stone of the Gurdwara for Khalsa Diwan Society was laid at 1866 West Second Avenue, Vancouver. 1907 A contingent of 901 Sikhs arrived on the Canadian Pacific steamer Monteagle in Vancouver on September 12, 1907. Race riots were held in Vancouver in which the Orientals and the Sikhs were targeted. 1908 On July 8, order-in-Council designed to stop all immigration from India with the "continuous journey" clause and "possession of $200" was passed. 1908 January 19, the first Sikh parade (Nagar Kirtan) took palce to celebrate the opening of the Gurdwara on Second Avenue in Vancouver. The first Granthi was Bahai Balwant Singh. 1908 Scheme to deport all the Sikhs from Canada to British Hondurans (Belize). 1908 Arrival of Sant (Professor) Teja Singh in Vancouver on October 17. 1908 First Amrit ceremony in Canada took place in Vancouver. 1909 On February 13, the congregation at the Girdwara rejected the British Honduras proposal. 1909 Establishment of Guru Nanak Mining and Trust company, and plans to buy 440 acres of land in West Vancouver. 1909 Khalsa Diwan Society was registered on March 13. 1911 The census for that year listed 2,342 Sikhs, less than half of that in 1908. Only three were women. 1912 Gurdwaras were built in Vitoria, Fraser Mills, and Abbotsford. 1912 Hardial Singh Atwal was the first Sikh born in Canada on August 28. 1913 Establishment of the Ghadar Party was in North America. The "Ghadar" newspaper was published the same year. 1914 April 4, the Komagata Maru (Guru Nanak Jahaz) departed Hong Kong for Vancouver to challenge the "continuous journey" clause. 1914 May 23, arrival of the Komagata Maru with 376 Passengers, mostly Sikhs, under the leadership of Bhai Gurdit Singh in Vancouver. 1914 July 23, the Komagata Maru was escorted out of Vancouver under the guard of the Canadian Navy. 1914 Bhai Mewa Singh shot William Hopkinson at the Vancouver Courthouse on October 21, to stop the injustices done to the Sikh community. 1915 Bhai Mewa Singh was hanged on January 11 in New Westminster. He was given a ceremonial Canadian Sikhs Martyr. 1915 Khalsa Diwan Society was incorporated under the B.C. Societies Act on February 23. 1918 Sikh population in British Colombia dropped to as low as 700. 1918 Mayo Lumber Company built a Sikh temple near Duncan, B.C. at Paldi. This town was named after the village in India. 1919 Immigration restriction on bring wives and children under eighteen years old from India were lifted. 1920 Sikh women and children started arriving from India. 1924 On July 13, the Sikh community sent a Jatha (a group of 10 Sikh martyrs) to protest the interference of Gurdwara management by the British Government in India. 1925 Khalsa Diwan Society had autonomous branches at Vancouver, Abbotsford, New Westminster, Golden, Duncan, Coombs, and Ocean Falls. 1925 January 2, the Sikh community sent a Jatha (a group of 39 Sikh martyrs) for the Jaito Morcha. 1929 Khalsa Diwan Society invited Charles Andrew, a friend of Mahatma Gandhi, and Sir Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel laureate, to see first hand the unfair treatment of the Sikhs. 1933 Vancouver Sikhs formed the India Grass Hockey Club. Annual sports in memory of Babar Akali Martyrs were organized. 1935 September 7, the opening of the Hillcrest Sikh temple (4 miles from Duncan). A parade was held to celebrate the opening. 1943 Organized labour helped the Sikh with the " fair pay to the Sikh" campaign. 1944 Survey of the Sikh in Canada showed that there were 1,756; 98% of them lived in British Columbia. 1947 Sikhs were granted franchise to vote and become Canadian citizens. 1949 Prime Minister Nehru visited the Vancouver Sikh temple with his daughter Indira Grandhi. 1950 East Indian Canadian Welfare Association was formed. 1950 Narajan Singh Grewal was the first Sikh elected to a city council in Mission, B.C. 1951 There were 2,148 Sikhs in Canada. 1952 Akail Singh Sikh temple was formed after the conflict of religious practices. 1957 Quotas from India increased to 300 per year. 1962 Quota system was dropped in favour of non-discriminatory immigration law. 1965 First Gurdwara in the province of Ontario. 1967 New immigration regulation based on point system was introduced. 1969 March 30,foundation stone for the Khalsa Diwan Society Gurdwara at 8000 Ross Street was laid. 1969 Khalsa Diwan Society celebrated the quincentenary birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji at its new Gurdwara at 8000 Ross Street on November 23. 1970 April 25, Khalsa Diwan Society offically opened its new Gurdwara at 8000 Ross Street, following a Nagar Kirtan from 1866 Second Avenue. 1970 Commencement of Ladies Sat-Sang and Saturday evening Kirtan Diwan at Khalsa Diwan Society. 1970 Punjabi classes started at the Gurdwara at 8000 Ross Street in July. 1972 Punjabi classes started in the evening at David Thompson Secondary School in September. 1974 Celebration of centenary of the Singh Sabha Movement, with tour of Sikh dignitaries around B.C. 1974 The tradition to entre a Sikh temple with a head covering (which had been neglected for a few years) was received by a special resolution. 1975 "Sikh Samachar" a newspaper, was published by the B.C. Sikh societies. 1975 Commemoration of the Tercentenary of Siri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. 1975 First Ragi Jatha (Bhai Bakhshish Singh Ji) that came from Shiromni Gurdwara Parbanhak Committee (S.G.P.C.) 1978 The executive committee of the Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver was elected for the first time by a ballot voting system. 1979 The 500th birthday of Guru Amar Das Ji. Since that year, an annual Vaisakhi Parade (Nagar Kirtan) is held in Vancouver. 1979 October 2, Khalsa Diwan Society purchased an adjoining building named "Guru Amar Das Niwas". This building has a school, daycare, museum, Gurdwara and guestrooms. 1980 Federation of Sikh Societies of Canada was the first Sikh organization registered nationally. 1980 January 6, broadcast started of the Sikh religious program "Gurmat Sandesh". 1982 Khalsa Diwan Society purchased 28 acres in Richmond, B.C. to build a sports complex. 1982 Two Jathas from Canada went to India to participate in the "Dharam Yudh Morcha" 1982 Honourable Wally Oppal was appointed a Supreme Court judge. He later conducted the Royal Inquiry to Policing in British Columbia. 1983 A Sikh Chair was established at the University of British of Columbia. 1984 A Sikh Chair was established at the University of Toronto. 1984 June 3, Operation Bluestar military attack on the Golden Temple (Siri Darbar Sahib), in Amritsar, India occurred. Thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed. 1984 A protest denouncing the Golden Temple massacre was attended by 15,000 Sikhs in downtown Vancouver near the Indian High Commission office on June 10. 1986 Metro Toronto Police permitted Sikhs to wear their turbans while on duty with the force. 1986 Khalsa School, a full time private school was established in Vancouver. This school teaches Sikh religion and Punjabi language classes. 1986 Khalsa Credit Union was registered on February 19, to provide financial service to the Sikh Community. Today there are five branches with assets of over a hundred million dollars. 1986 First Sikh elected to any provincial legislature in Canada was Manmohan (Moe) Sahota from Esquimalt, British Colombia. 1987 A steamer named Amelie with 174 refugees, mostly Sikhs landed in Nova Scotia. 1987 Protest by 3,000 Sikhs against Human Rights violation during Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Grandhi's visit at the Commonwealth Prime Minister's Conference in Vancouver on October 12. 1988 February 25, Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark asked premiers to boycott activities of three Sikh organizations. 1988 March 10, the Canadian Parliament devoted a whole day to debate the issue of the Sikh's rights and the issue of Khalistan. 1988 Dr. Gulzar Singh Cheema was elected as an M.L.A. to the Manitoba legislature. 1989 July 23 marked the 75th anniversary of the Komagala Maru Incident. Sikh societies across Canada commemorated this reprehensible incident. 1990 A plaque commemorating the Komagata Maru Incident was placed at Portal Park in Vancouver on May 23 jointly by the municipal, provincial, and federal Governments. 1990 March 15, the solicitor General of Canada announced that the RCMP dress code would be amended to have a turbaned Sikh join the force. Constable Baltej Singh Dhillon had the honour of becoming the first baptized Sikh to join the RCMP. 1991 Three Sikhs were elected to the British Columbia legislature. Manmohan (Moe) Sihota, and Ujjal Dosanjh have held various cabinet posts, and the other M.L.A. is Harbhajan (Harry) Lalli. 1992 Khalsa school opened its facility with a Gurwara in Surrey, B.C. 1992 Formation of the Ontario Gurdwara Management Board. 1993 Gurbax Singh Mahli and Harbans (Herb) Dhaliwal were the first Sikhs elected to the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. 1993 In July, Vancouver Punjabi Market at Main and 49th Street was officially recognized with bilingual signs in English and Punjabi. 1993 A 24 hour radio program featuring Sikh religion and Gurbani Kirtan started to transmit from Vancouver. It broadcasts across Canada and America VIA satellite. 1993 Five Sikh veterans were invited to participate in a Remembrance Day parade on November 11, but were denied entry to the Royal Canadian Legion in Newton, B.C. 1994 Akhand Path and Vaisakhi Day celebrations were held at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. 1994 The foundation stone for the Sikh Resource Centre was laid by the Akal Tahat Jathedar on July 24. Senior Centre for the Sikhs was opened on November 29, in Surrey, B.C. 1995 The B.C. Government officially recognized the Vaisakhi Parade and published a brochure. 1996 February 15, the Supreme Court of Canada reaffirmed a Sikh officers right to wear a turban. 1996 In September, British Columbia schools started to offer Punjabi language in its regular curriculum from grades five to twelve. 1996 There were over a hundred Gurdwaras across Canada. Fifty of them were in B.C. 1996 Opening of the Sikh Resource Centre in Vancouver to celebrate the centennial of the Sikhs in Canada on July 28. 1997 January 11 was the sad day when the sanctity of Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey was desecrated with the intervention of the dispute over the serving of Guru Ka Langar (community kitchen). more > > > Chinese-Canadian history Japanese-Canadian history Click here for information on our Asian North American History Timeline Project