Haq and history
In the early 1900s, the booming lumber industry in Port Moody attracted the first wave of Sikh immigrants to the area as workers. By 1905, 45 Sikh men had arrived in British Columbia, and six found employment at the Emerson Mill in Port Moody. The mill owner was impressed with their strong work ethic and advertised for more Sikh workers, leading to other mills hiring them. Initially, Sikh immigrants faced no immigration laws or regulations and found work quickly. However, as they were paid an average of $1.95 a day, compared to the $2.25 a day of workers of European descent, many employers began hiring Sikh workers due to their lower wages. This resulted in resentment and racial tensions towards Sikhs, leading to discrimination, physical abuse, layoffs, evictions, and eventually changes to immigration laws that restricted the number of Sikhs entering Canada.
Women and children under eighteen were also restricted from entering Canada, with only nine Sikh women migrating to British Columbia between 1904 and 1920. This left many Sikh men alone in small lodgings without their families. Despite this, the Sikh men in Port Moody made efforts to join and contribute to their new community. They were well-known to the local children and taught them to swim and wrestle. One man, Khartar Singh, would dive off the Queen Street wharf to impress onlookers. While Singh worked at the Thurston-Flavelle mill, his diving skills were believed to come from working as a pearl diver.
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Between 1903 and 1908, the first wave of Sikh immigrants came to Canada, with over 5000 settling mainly in Vancouver, British Columbia. These Sikh pioneers were primarily employed in the forestry, fishing, and railway industries. However, due to restrictive government immigration policies, their wives, children, and families could not join them in Canada.
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In 1907, William Bowser proposed a bill to take away the voting rights of non-Anglo-Saxon natives, targeting Sikh and South Asian communities. This led to an amended Municipality Incorporation Act preventing these communities from voting until 1947. In 1908, the Canadian government introduced discriminatory policies to control immigration from "Asiatic" countries, which included a $200 financial obligation upon arrival and a "continuous journey" provision.
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On August 28, Hardial Singh Atwal became the first Sikh born in Canada.
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In 1914, the Komagata Maru, mainly carrying Sikh male passengers who were British subjects, was denied entry to Canada due to discriminatory immigration laws. The passengers were stranded on the ship for two months with very little food, water, and medical supplies, while the Canadian government restricted access to the vessel. The Komagata Maru was forced to return to India, where passengers faced violence from British authorities.
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Colleagues in the Imperial War Cabinet urged Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden in 1918 to remove restrictions on Sikh immigration to acknowledge the service of Sikh soldiers during World War I. This changed immigration laws in 1919, allowing the spouses and young children of Sikh immigrants to come to Canada. Nonetheless, family reunification remained slow.
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Immigrants in Canada faced discrimination even after gaining the right to vote in 1947. Sikhs and all other 'Asiatic' immigrants were forced to wait five years before being eligible for citizenship and sponsorship, while Europeans were not. To fight against discriminatory policies, the East Indian Canadian Welfare Association was created in 1950.
Upon arriving in Port Moody, Sikhs brought traditional beliefs and celebrations. In 1905, Bhai Arjan Singh brought the Sikh Holy book Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to Canada. The scriptures were kept at a residence in Port Moody, where the local community would gather. Eventually, a small Sikh temple was erected behind the original Royal Bank on Clarke Street, featuring a decorated altar. The Sikh members often welcomed other locals to join them in prayer. Following their customs, whenever a community member passed away, the group would gather and cremate their loved ones using unwanted wood collected from nearby mills. The celebration of life lasted for several days. In addition, the Sikh community always offered aid to those in need, exemplified during the 1914 incident of the Komagata Maru being stranded in Vancouver Harbour, where members of the Port Moody Sikh community rallied together to collect and provide food, water, medication, and financial assistance.
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In 1962, Canada introduced new immigration regulations to eliminate quotas and prioritize skills. However, discrimination against South Asians continued until 1967, when amendments to the Immigration Act removed overt racial discrimination and implemented a points system based on language proficiency, education, and job skills. This led to a significant increase in Sikh immigration to Canada between 1964 and 1970, surpassing the total of the previous eighty years combined.
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The Federation of Sikh Societies of Canada became the first Sikh organization to be registered nationally.
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Manmohan (Moe) Sahota, from Esquimalt, British Columbia, became the first Sikh elected to the provincial legislature in Canada.
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In 1995, the British Columbia government granted the Vaisakhi Parade official recognition. Vaisakhi is a significant holiday for Sikhs, celebrated for centuries as a time for harvest and a new year. Since 1699, it has also marked the birth of the Khalsa fraternity, an important event in Sikh history. Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa during a period of turmoil in Punjab to find individuals who would stand up for justice and truth in the face of adversity.
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Sikh Heritage Month was first rec- ognized with month-long celebra- tions beginning in April 2015.
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Sikhs in Canada and British Columbia continue to play an essential and influential role in shaping the country's cultural and economic landscape, as well as continuing to address challenges related to systemic racism and discrimination.
