Oldest gurdwara in Canada

Canadian PM joins centenary celebrations

Chandigarh, August 29

Minister Stepher Harper took his day off yesterday to be with the Sikh community of Canada in general and the Abbotsford in British Columbia in particular, to join the centenary celebrations of the oldest Sikh Temple of Canada.

“It is an honour for me to be here today to celebrate the Gur Sikh Temple’s 100th anniversary,” said the Prime Minister. “On this occasion, we reflect on the tremendous contributions of the Sikh community in Canada - a community that continues to play an important role in building our strong, dynamic society while taking great pride in their faith and traditions.”

Canada is now home to more than 3,00,000 Sikhs. Their extraordinary success in every field of endeavour, including business, science, medicine, arts and politics, has helped shape the strong and dynamic Canada.

Other than Abbotsford gurdwara, British Columbia has another old gurdwara run by Khalsa Dewan Society. In Toronto also, famous gurdwaras, including Dixie Gurghar, Malton Singh Sabha and Scarborough gurdwara. Like in India, some of these big gurdwaras have live telecast of gurbani kirtan on different cable networks everyday.

The Abbotsford gurdwara is perhaps the oldest Sikh temple in North America. The celebrations are a pleasant reminder of the brave pioneers who built the foundations of the Sikh community in Canada besides paying tribute to the enormous contributions that generations of Sikh immigrants and their descendants have made to their new country of abode.

Led by Sunder Singh Thandi and Argin Singh, two of early Sikh settlers in British Columbia in the early 20th century, the Sikh temple stands a throbbing witness to the initial years of struggle, hard work and tough times the Sikh community faced on arriving in Canada. After Sunder Singh Thandi and Argin Singh purchased property in early 1911, the Trethewey family that owned the Abbotsford Lumber Company Sawmill, donated wood (lumber) used in the construction of the family. Rest of the money came through donations from members of the Sikh community.

Once the construction of the gurdwara started, other members of the community started building their houses in its periphery.

After almost a year of work, the Abbotsford Gur Sikh temple was finally inaugurated in February 1912. It soon became the spiritual and physical centre of the community, with Sikhs purchasing land and building homes nearby.

In 2002, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada as it embodies the courage, hardships and perseverance of Sikh pioneers, as well as their success in retaining their religious beliefs, while adapting to new conditions and integrating into Canadian society. The architecture of the structure is a good example of that adaptation as it respects Sikh traditions while making practical changes to suit local conditions. Like many buildings on the Canadian frontier, the temple has a wooden frame and gabled roof, while its interior reflects Sikh traditions and religious beliefs. The prayer room houses the sacred Guru Granth Sahib and the ground floor contains a kitchen and a dining room where the communal langar is prepared and served.

To mark the centennial celebrations of the Gur Sikh Temple, the Canadian government has provided $87,950 for several infrastructure projects and activities through the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program. Funding will be used to build a museum within the temple, a mural and monument commemorating its creation, as well as a new gate to the gurdwara. A series of artistic and cultural activities have also been planned so as to enable local residents to celebrate the historic anniversary along with the Sikh community.

Centre drops proposal for separate Sikh Marriage Act

TANGLE OVER LAWn The Sikh community has long been seeking their own law for registration of marriagesn At present, marriages amongst the Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and other communities except Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews, are covered by the Hindu Marriage Act 1955n The government justified the rejection of community's demand saying such seclusion would invite similar demands from others.

New Delhi, August 29
The government has decided to drop the proposal for a separate law covering marriages solemnised within the Sikh community. Dealing a major blow to the aspirations of Sikhs, who have long been fighting for amendments to the existing Anand Karaj (Marriage) Act of 1909 to convert it into a comprehensive legislation governing Sikh marriages, the Ministry of Law and Justice today said there was no justification for a separate law and it had decided to abandon the proposal for any such amendment.
The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab has been on the forefront of the demand for changes in the Anand Karaj Act and the party’s core committee on political affairs had last year called upon the Centre for expeditious enactment of the Anand Marriage Act for Sikhs along the lines of similar acts for other religions (covering Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews).
Speaking to The Tribune today, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, leader of the Akali Dal in the Rajya Sabha, said he was given to understand by former Law Minister Veerappa Moily that a draft Bill for Sikh Marriage Act was ready and would be sent for the Cabinet approval soon before being placed in the Parliament.
“I am surprised at today’s decision of the government. We will take up the matter with the Prime Minister again,” Dhindsa said.
It was on Dhindsa’s query about the status of the said law that Law Minister Salman Khursheed today informed the Parliament that after receiving several representations for amendment to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 to provide for compulsory registration of Sikh marriages, the government had decided to drop the proposal.
At present, marriages amongst the Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and other communities except Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews, are covered by the Hindu Marriage Act 1955. Section 8 of the Hindu Marriage Act provides for registration of Hindu marriages; Section 2 of the Act covers Sikh marriages.
The government justified the rejection of Sikh demand saying such seclusion would invite similar demands from others. The Law Minister said in RS, “Since the scope of the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 is limited to marriage ceremonies amongst “anands”, the registration of all forms of Sikh marriages is not within its scope. Further, there may not be any justification for secluding Sikhs from the rest of the categories mentioned above as such a step would invite similar demands from other religious denominations covered under the Hindu Marriage Act. Also, seclusion of one community is against the directive principles contained in Article 44 of the Constitution which aims at bringing in a uniform civil code.”

Karunanidhi seeks amnesty for Rajiv killers

Chennai, August 29
With 11 days left for the execution of three Rajiv Gandhi assassins, DMK and some other parties today stepped up their campaign for getting them reprieve while Chief Minister Jayalalithaa made it clear she has no power to grant them pardon.
A petition seeking seeking review of the President's order rejecting the clemency pleas of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, facing gallows on September 9, may come up for hearing before the Madras High Court tomorrow.
Several parts of the state witnessed student protests, attempt to picket railway stations and rail roko agitations.
Pleading pardon for the three, DMK chief M Karunanidhi appealed to the Centre to save the three lives and said "Had young leader Rajiv Gandhi been alive today, that noble man would have definitely come forward to save the lives of Santhan, Perarivalan and Murugan, responding to the voice of true Tamils and in accordance with the golden saying of Anna, forget and forgive," he said in a statement.
Jayalalithaa, expressing her inability to accept the demand of political leaders for clemency, quoted a Home Ministry directive of 1991 which made it clear that when a petition for grant of pardon in death sentences has earlier been rejected by the President, it would not be open for the state to invoke Article 161 to commute the death sentence.
The Chief Minister decried Karunanidhi seeking her intervention noting that in 2000 he had recommended to the Governor to reject the mercy plea of the three and commutation of death sentence to Nalini to life.
The DMK patriarch had last week urged Congress President Sonia Gandhi to intervene on the issue, saying appeals by Tamils across the world needed to be considered in the spirit of "forget and forgive".
PMK founder S Ramadoss and MDMK leader Vaiko demanded that capital punishment to the three be commuted to life.
However, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy said there should be no interference in the decision to hang the three. Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani said, "it is the right of the person not be be punished more than what the law allows." In this case, the additional puinishment is agony and suffering of people who are sentenced to be hanged and every day for them is a day of death, he said.
Senior counsel V Chandrasekharan, who had earlier argued the case for the three in the Madras High Court, made a mention before it about his intention to challenge the Presidential order, rejecting the clemency of the three.
The judge N Paul Vasantkumar asked the lawyer to file the petition, which could be taken up for hearing tomorrow.
Chandrasekharan has contended that the three had already served 20 years in prison . He also questioned the delay of 11 years in rejecting the mercy plea.

Punjab Police ‘keeping tabs’ on govt rivals

KHAKI ‘POLL CELL’ n Punjab Police is accused of establishing an ‘election cell’ on the fifth floor of the police headquarters at Chandigarh n Another cell, manned by three senior Punjab Police officers, is functioning from the same floor for keeping telephones of political opponents under surveillance n Information is being collected on the likely candidates for the 117 Assembly constituencies n Efforts are afoot to identify political rivals who can be possibly won over

NOT TRUE: POLICE Punjab DGP PS Gill was not available for comment, despite repeated attempts. A senior officer denied keeping tabs on politicians or their supporters. The officer said the police functioning was limited to identifying "trouble areas" to prevent any untoward incident during the elections.

Chandigarh, August 29
Vspb2010@gmail.com is the email ID that the Punjab Police is using to gather intelligence inputs on the political opponents of the ruling alliance, just as Punjab gears up for the SGPC and Assembly elections.
The techno-savvy Punjab Police has relegated to the trash can the system of compiling hard copies of reports gathered from its “agents” in different towns and areas and has logged on to the new programme. However, this move can land the government in trouble with the Election Commission.
Under the rules, the police cannot work in tandem with its political bosses for furthering its interests in the elections by providing them with intelligence inputs.
At the most, the intelligence wing of the police can maintain a vigil to pre-empt violence or booth-capturing during the elections.
Available information suggests that the Punjab Police has established an “election cell” on the fifth floor of the police headquarters in Sector 9.
It is believed that another cell, manned by three senior Punjab Police officers, has been functioning from the same floor for keeping telephones of political opponents and their supporters under surveillance.
Inquiries show information is being collected on the likely candidates for the 117 Assembly constituencies. Efforts are on to identify political rivals who can be possibly won over and to gauge their strengths and weakness and the means to win them over. Giving credence to the findings is a letter by Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira to Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi.
Alleging “gross misuse of intelligence and security wings of the Punjab Police for political purposes”, Khaira has asserted that the police has an election cell under the Additional Director-General of Police (security) to keep a watch over sensitive polling areas.
“But in order to keep a close watch on its political opponents, the government has in an unauthorised manner set up a parallel election cell…. Regular inputs are being obtained on the strength and weakness of all political parties and of the likely candidates in the 117 assembly constituencies”. Khaira has gone on to say that the postings of district police chiefs are decided on the basis of the inputs received from the districts through the intelligence wing.
“By maintaining graphs of its political opponents, the government is not only infringing on their privacy, but is also misusing the intelligence wing for political purposes,” Khaira has alleged.

ਜੈਕਲੇਟਨ ਦੀ ਬੇਵਕਤੀ ਮੌਤ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ ਲਈ ਲੜ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਕੌਮਾਂ ਲਈ ਘਾਟਾ-ਮਾਨ

ਕੈਲਗਰੀ, 29 ਅਗਸਤ (ਜਸਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਮੀ)-ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ (ਅ) ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸ. ਸਿਮਰਨਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਾਨ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਟੈਲੀਫੋਨ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਭੇਜੇ ਸੰਦੇਸ਼ 'ਚ ਐਨ.ਡੀ.ਪੀ. ਦੇ ਆਗੂ ਜੈਕ ਲੇਟਨ ਦੀ ਬੇਵਕਤੀ ਮੌਤ 'ਤੇ ਦੁੱਖ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਾਵਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੀ ਜੂਨ '84 ਅਤੇ ਨਵੰਬਰ '84 ਦੀ ਨਸਲਕੁਸ਼ੀ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਪਾਰਲੀਮੈਂਟ 'ਚ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਕ 'ਚ ਨਾਅਰਾ ਮਾਰਿਆ ਤੇ ਇਸਨੂੰ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਯੋਜਨਾਬੰਧ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਕੀਤੇ ਕਤਲੇਆਮ ਐਲਾਨਿਆ। ਸ. ਮਾਨ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਜੈਕ ਲੇਟਨ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਥੰਮ ਤੇ ਗਰੀਬਾਂ ਦੀ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਸੀ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਚਲੇ ਜਾਣ ਨਾਲ ਜਿਥੇ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਘਾਟਾ ਪਿਆ ਹੈ। ਉਥੇ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ ਲਈ ਲੜ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਕੌਮਾਂ ਲਈ ਇਹ ਦੁੱਖ ਅਸਹਿ ਹੈ। ਸਮੂਹ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ (ਅ) ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਅਹੁਦੇਦਾਰਾਂ ਤੇ ਵਰਕਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਐਲਾਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਇਸ ਦੁੱਖ ਦੀ ਘੜੀ 'ਚ ਐਨ.ਡੀ.ਪੀ. ਪਾਰਟੀ ਨਾਲ ਖੜ੍ਹੇ ਹਨ।

ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਤਾਬਦੀ ਮੌਕੇ ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ

ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਤਰੱਕੀ 'ਚ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਦੀ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਸ

ਐਬਟਸਫੋਰਡ, 29 ਅਗਸਤ (ਗੁਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ)-ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ ਕੌਮੀ ਵਿਰਾਸਤ ਕਰਾਰ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਗਏ ਉੱਤਰੀ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਦੇ ਪਹਿਲੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਤਾਬਦੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਪਿਤ ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਅੱਜ ਐਬਟਸਫੋਰਡ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ 'ਚ ਸਜਾਏ ਗਏ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ 'ਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਹੋਣ ਲਈ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸਟੀਫਨ ਹਾਰਪਰ ਆਪਣੇ ਮੰਤਰੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਪੁੱਜੇ। ਸੌ ਸਾਲ ਜਸ਼ਨਾਂ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਸਮਾਰਕ ਤੋਂ ਪਰਦਾ ਹਟਾਉਣ ਉਪਰੰਤ ਹੈਰੀਟੇਜ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਤੋਂ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਨੇ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਪਿਛਲੀ ਸਦੀ ਤੋਂ ਹੁਣ ਤੱਕ ਹੋਈ ਤਰੱਕੀ 'ਚ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਪਾਏ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਦੀ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਸਾ ਕੀਤੀ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਪਹਿਲੇ ਦਸਤਾਰਧਾਰੀ ਸਿੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸ: ਟਿਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਉੱਪਲ ਨੇ 'ਅਜੀਤ' ਨਾਲ ਗੱਲਬਾਤ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸ਼ਤਾਬਦੀ ਜਸ਼ਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਣਾ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਭਰ 'ਚ ਵੱਸਦੇ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਲਈ ਮਾਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ। ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਤੋਂ ਪੁੱਜੀ ਸਤਿਕਾਰਤ ਸ਼ਖ਼ਸੀਅਤ ਰਾਏ ਅਜ਼ੀਜ਼ ਉੱਲਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਵਪਾਰ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਐਡ ਫਾਸਟ, ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਸਿੱਖ ਇਸਤਰੀ ਸਾਂਸਦ ਨਰਿੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ, ਐਮ. ਪੀ. ਦਵਿੰਦਰ ਸ਼ੋਰੀ, ਐਮ. ਪੀ. ਜਿਨੀ ਜੋਗਿੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ ਸਿਮਜ਼ ਤੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਐਮ. ਪੀ. ਗੁਰਮੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਵੱਡੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ 'ਚ ਸਿੱਖ ਆਗੂ ਉਦਘਾਟਨੀ ਸਮਾਗਮ 'ਚ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਸਨ। ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਦੇ ਮੇਅਰ ਜੌਰਜ ਪੈਰੀ ਨੇ ਜਿਉਂ ਹੀ ਆਪਣਾ ਭਾਸ਼ਣ 'ਪੰਜਾਬੀ' ਵਿਚ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕੀਤਾ ਤੇ ਖੁਦ 'ਬੋਲੇ ਸੋ ਨਿਹਾਲ' ਦੇ ਜੈਕਾਰੇ ਗੂੰਜਾਏ, ਤਾਂ ਇਕ ਵਾਰ ਇਉਂ ਲੱਗਿਆ ਕਿ ਐਬਟਸਫੋਰਡ 'ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ' ਹੋ ਨਿੱਬੜਿਆ ਹੋਵੇ। ਬੀ. ਸੀ. ਦੀ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਟੀ ਕਲਾਰਕ ਨੇ ਗੁਲਾਬੀ ਪੁਸ਼ਾਕ ਪਹਿਨੀ ਹੋਈ ਸੀ। ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਕੁਝ ਦੇਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਆਰੰਭ ਹੋਏ ਸ਼ਤਾਬਦੀ ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਛਤਰ-ਛਾਇਆ ਹੇਠ ਪੰਜ ਪਿਆਰਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਕੀਤੀ ਗਈ ਤੇ ਵੱਡੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ 'ਚ ਖੂਬਸੂਰਤ ਫਲੋਟ, ਦਸਮੇਸ਼ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਕੂਲ ਦੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਪੇਸ਼ਕਾਰੀ, ਬੀ. ਸੀ. ਸਿੱਖ ਮੋਟਰਸਾਈਕਲ ਕਲੱਬ ਦੇ ਦਸਤਾਰਧਾਰੀ ਮੈਂਬਰਾਂ, ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਕਵੀਸ਼ਰੀ ਤੇ ਢਾਡੀ ਜਥਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਮੂਲੀਅਤ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵਸ਼ਾਲੀ ਰਹੀ। ਰੋਟਰੀ ਸਟੇਡੀਅਮ 'ਚ ਲੱਗੀ ਪ੍ਰਮੁੱਖ ਸਟੇਜ ਤੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਤੋਂ ਆਏ ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਮਹਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਰੁਪਾਣਾ, ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਪਟਨਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਨੂੰ ਵਿਰਾਸਤੀ ਲਾਇਬ੍ਰੇਰੀ ਲਈ ਪਾਏ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਬਦਲੇ ਸਨਮਾਨਿਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ, ਜਦੋਂਕਿ ਲਿਬਰਲ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੇ ਐਮ. ਪੀ. ਰਹੇ ਸੁਖਮਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੁੱਖ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸਿੱਖ ਮੁੱਦਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਜ਼ੋਰਦਾਰ ਸ਼ਬਦਾਂ 'ਚ ਵਕਾਲਤ ਕੀਤੀ ਗਈ। ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ 'ਚ ਉਕਤ ਬੁਲਾਰਿਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਨਿਊ ਡੈਮੋਕਰੇਟਿਕ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੇ ਮੁਖੀ ਐਡਰੀਅਨ ਡਿਕਸ, ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਜਗਰੂਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਰਾੜ, ਰਾਜ ਚੌਹਾਨ ਬਰੂਸ ਰਲਸਟਨ, ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਲਿਬਰਲ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੇਵ ਹੇਅਰ, ਸਾਬਕਾ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਡਾ: ਗੁਲਜ਼ਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਚੀਮਾ, ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਸਿੱਖ ਸੰਸਥਾ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸ: ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਿਨਿੰਗ, ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਤੋਂ ਪੁੱਜੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਆਗੂ ਸ: ਦੀਦਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੈਂਸ, ਸ਼ੇਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਰੇਡੀਓ ਦੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਕ ਸ: ਅਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਧ, ਐਬਟਸਫੋਰਡ ਦੇ ਡਿਪਟੀ ਮੇਅਰ ਮੋਅ ਗਿੱਲ, ਮਿਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਡਿਪਟੀ ਮੇਅਰ ਟੈਰੀ ਗਿਧਾ, ਸਾਬਕਾ ਮੇਅਰ ਜੌਰਜ ਫਰਗੂਸਨ, ਜਤੀ ਸਿੱਧੂ, ਖਾਲਸਾ ਦੀਵਾਨ ਸੁਸਾਇਟੀ ਦੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ, ਬੀ. ਸੀ. ਦੀਆਂ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸੰਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ, ਸਪੋਰਟਸ ਕਮੇਟੀਆਂ, ਸੱਭਿਆਚਾਰਕ ਸੰਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਸਮੇਤ ਸਮੂਹ ਜਥੇਬੰਦੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਹਾਜ਼ਰੀ ਲੁਆਈ। ਐਬਟਸਫੋਰਡ ਸੌਕਰ ਕਲੱਬ ਦੇ ਵਲੰਟੀਅਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਗਰਬੇਜ ਤੇ ਸਫਾਈ ਦੀ ਅਣਥੱਕ ਸੇਵਾ ਕੀਤੀ। ਖਾਲਸਾ ਦੀਵਾਨ ਸੁਸਾਇਟੀ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸ. ਕਾਬਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਸ਼ਤਾਬਦੀ ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ 'ਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਹੋਏ ਸਮੂਹ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਕੀਤਾ। ਸੇਵਾਦਾਰਾਂ ਸ. ਜਤਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਿੱਲ ਤੇ ਸ. ਸਤਨਾਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਿੱਲ ਸਮੇਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕਾਂ ਵਲੋਂ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਨਿਭਾਈਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ।