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.