Bill C-376 (Historical)

Sikh Heritage Month Act

An Act to designate the month of April as Sikh Heritage Month

This enactment designates the month of April in each and every year as ″Sikh Heritage Month″.

Sikh Heritage Month Act

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise once again in the House to debate this bill. The speed at which this is being supported and moving through the stages is a sign of how much support the bill has on all sides of the House.

We have heard throughout this process, members sharing their views on why the bill must pass, the history and contribution of Sikh Canadians and the journey it has been from the days when those early Sikh pioneers arrived in Canada to the present day where this nation stands tall as a leader for equality, diversity and compassion. The very purpose of the bill is for all Canadians to fully understand our history and the significant role the Sikh community has played in it and for us to become even more of a proud multicultural country.

By passing the bill to designate the month of April as Sikh heritage month, we will ensure we bring attention to the lesser known moments and key individuals who played a role in shaping our country. That is what I want to do today. I want to share with members some of the important moments and individuals who have been part of the Sikh Canadian journey to what it is today.

The arrival of Sikhs in Canada began in 1897, as members of the Hong Kong military made their way to Canada through Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. These soldiers were celebrated with local papers printing headlines, “Turbaned Men Excite Interest”. They appreciated this welcome and liked the similarity between British Columbia's climate and land to that of Punjab and made plans to immigrate here.

In 1904, Sikhs began to migrate and by 1908, almost 5,000 Sikhs moved to Canada.

By 1911, Sikhs began heading east from B.C. to Ontario. One of them was Buckam Singh, who came to Canada in 1907 at the age of 14. In 1915, he joined the Canadian forces to become one of the nine Sikhs who served in World War I. He fought in the battlefields of Flanders Fields, where he was wounded twice and treated at the hospital run by one of Canada's most famous poets, Dr. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who wrote In Flanders Fields.

This shows us the parallels between well-known Canadian history and the Sikh Canadian history. The bravery and sacrifice of soldiers like Buckam Singh is a part of the legendary contributions Canadians made in Flanders Fields, which is part of our identity today.

Unfortunately, while there was initial excitement and acceptance in the early arrival of Sikhs and a desire on the part of Sikhs to become an equal part of Canadian society and serve with their brothers, sentiments changed and laws began to be passed that would restrict Indian immigration.

In 1908, an order in council declared there must be a continuous journey to come to Canada, and it was this law that would stop the Komagata Maru in 1914.

This is the incident we all know. It has shown Canada transform from its darkest moment to one of our greatest moments when the current Prime Minister, the member for Papineau, offered an apology in the very House where those prejudicial laws were passed. This incident also showed the determination of Sikhs who made it their mission to become equal citizens of Canada. Many early pioneers peacefully protested and worked to stop the discrimination that was taking place.

As these issues progressed, gurdwaras began to open and play an important role within our community.

Gurdwaras were a place that the community could gather, find support and discuss the issues they were facing. They were also key to Sikhs retaining their identity and religion, providing them a safe place to worship, including reciting prayer, reading scripture and singing hymns. At the centre of any gurdwara is the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture and eternal guru for Sikhs. Bhai Arjan Singh brought the first Guru Granth Sahib to Canada in 1906 to a house in Port Moody.

From there, the Khalsa Diwan Society opened the first gurdwara in North America in Vancouver in 1908, as well as organizing the first Nagar Kirtan. There was a small gathering that marked this occasion and today the Nagar Kirtan held in my riding of Surrey—Newton is the biggest in the world outside of India, with over half a million people attending each and every year. As the community grew, more gurdwaras opened in Victoria, Fraser Mills and Abbotsford in 1912, followed by the Akali Singh Sikh gurdwara in 1952 and the first gurdwara in Ontario in 1965.

The growth of the community and the close-knit nature of Sikh Canadians resulted in the formation of Paldi, British Columbia, by Mayo Singh and named after his birthplace in the village of Paldi in lndia. This became one of the earliest towns for Punjabi settlers. It was a complete town with its own lumber mill, school and postal office, and the centre of the town was the gurdwara built in 1919.

Today, there are over 100 gurdwaras across Canada, offering not only a place of worship but also food and shelter for the public, as well as a place for the community to gather.

These early gurdwaras have become home to the history and struggles of the community and continue to stand as a reminder of how far the community has come. A historic moment for the Sikh Canadian community came when the right hon. prime minister Jean Chrétien declared the Gur Sikh Temple in Abbotsford a national historic site in 2002. lt is the oldest existing Sikh gurdwara in North America and is now the only gurdwara outside of lndia and Pakistan that is designated a national historic site.

Through all of these early struggles and the determination of the pioneers, Sikh Canadians began to receive the recognition and equal standing in society they deserved by the late 1940s. Sikh Canadians were given full voting rights in 1947 after a 12-man delegation, including members of the Khalsa Diwan Society, presented their case to British Columbia Premier Hart. This outreach resulted in the first minor victory, with the right to vote being given to all those from the Asian and South Asian communities who had fought in World War Il.

The lobbying continued with Kartar Singh, Kapoor Singh, Dr. Pandia and Mayo Singh leading a delegation to the 1946 municipalities conference in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. By April 1947, all South Asian males were granted the right to vote in both provincial and federal elections. Beginning in the 1980s, the barriers to wearing Sikh articles of faith were removed and it became easier for Sikhs to practise their religion while succeeding in their careers.

It started with Inspector Baltej Singh Dhillon, who fought to wear his turban as part of the RCMP uniform in order to complete his dream of becoming a Mountie.

In 1993, with the election of the Hon. Gurbax Singh Malhi to the House of Commons, it changed the rules that had previously prevented members of Parliament from wearing turbans in the House of Commons.

These are just some of the key moments and individuals that need to be honoured, recognized and celebrated so we can become an even more proudly diverse society.

The history of Sikhs in Canada is a story of compassion, hard work, persistence and progress. From the first Sikh Canadians arriving in 1897, to the community becoming a large part of Canada's social, economic and political fabric, Sikhs have played an integral role in the country from business and philanthropic leaders, to hard-working Canadians who work across various sectors throughout our vast country. For example, in my riding of Surrey—Newton, over the past three years, a group of young Canadian Sikh men and women have held food and toy drives every holiday season. They have collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in food and toys for the Surrey Food Bank and the Vancouver Children's Hospital. This has inspired other groups within our city to do the same, and this will soon be the largest organized effort of giving food and toys to those less fortunate in the entire nation.

Another great example of the Sikh Canadian community giving to others is expressed through the Blood Donation by Sikh Nation campaign, that also started in Surrey—Newton. This annual blood donation campaign has saved the lives of more than 130,000 Canadians. It has now grown to include clinics across Canada, the United States, Australia and other countries worldwide.

These are some of the many examples where Canadians of Sikh heritage have played a key role from coast to coast to coast and become an equal part of the Canadian fabric and society. This is why we need to make sure that the rich history and contributions of Sikhs in Canada are not forgotten and they are remembered so that every generation knows the journey of this community and our country.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for giving me an opportunity to address the House. I thank all members for supporting this bill.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for bringing forward this initiative, and for his speech on the subject. I was planning on supporting it anyway, but if I had not been his speech certainly would have convinced me.

I want to ask him two questions. I appreciated the remarks he made about the military service that has happened through the Sikh community. It has not always historically been recognized. We know that in India, as well as here, there has always been significant representation of the Sikh community in the military service. I wonder if he wants to speak more to that point.

The second question I want to ask is about the plight of the Sikh community in Afghanistan. This is something that has been discussed in the House. I know the declining population of the Sikh community in Afghanistan is a major concern for the community. There is a significant need there. There is opportunity for private sponsorship here in Canada and engagement of the community here in Canada around that issue. I would like to hear his perspective on that, and what we can do to help that segment of the community.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his support and encouragement on this bill. I am very indebted to all members, and particularly this member, for asking this question about the military.

As I mentioned, 1897 was the first time Sikhs participated in the military in Canada, and since then, the tradition remains. We are fortunate to have the Minister of National Defence, who was a colonel in the military and served in Afghanistan.

The hon. member asked about the plight of the Sikhs in Afghanistan. In fact, that is a very compassionate issue the hon. member has raised. Mr. Bhullar, the late MLA from Alberta, is the one who brought this issue forward.

The minister responsible for immigration is working on that file, and we will make sure that Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan who need help are given a chance for a good life.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. This is very important private member's business. I wonder if there is quorum in the House.

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

I thank the hon. member for raising this. I do not see quorum at present. I would ask that the bells be rung to call in the members.

And the bells having rung:

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

We now have quorum.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. I was not sure when you called quorum. I know that there are 20 or so Liberals here, but there were no Conservatives on the benches at the time. Does that mean—

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member knows that we do not draw attention to the presence or absence of members in the chamber.

The hon. member for Victoria.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking my friend from Surrey—Newton. I had the honour of seconding his bill. I appreciate very much what he has brought forward to the House to celebrate the importance of the Sikh heritage to our democracy.

Moe Sihota was the first Sikh elected to federal or provincial office anywhere. I am proud that he comes from my province of British Columbia. In 1991, he became the first Sikh minister.

Does the member agree that having Mr. Jagmeet Singh, the first Sikh and visible minority leader of a national party, in this House would be another historic event? I wonder if the member will work with us to make sure that happens just as soon as possible.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Victoria for seconding my bill. It is not my bill. In fact, it has become a bill from everyone here.

The hon. member mentioned the leader of the NDP, Mr. Jagmeet Singh. We are very proud that he is the leader of a major party. If members were to go through my previous speeches, they would see that I mentioned him and that this is a history-creating event. The Prime Minister is working diligently, and in the coming weeks and months, we will be able to see that opportunity arise.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, since being elected, I have had the honour of getting to know Canada's Sikh community very well. In particular, I have worked extensively with the community on human rights issues. When we speak of Sikh heritage, standing up for human rights is in the community's DNA.

The Sikh faith began at a time and in a place of significant pre-existing interreligious conflict, and in the context of deeply ingrained caste-based discrimination. “Caste” describes a cultural and religious system whereby people are seen as having greater or lesser dignity and value as a result of their birth. It has implications for the occupations people can undertake, but also for the fundamental way people are treated and viewed.

While most of us might take for granted the idea that people are of equal dignity regardless of who their parents are, that has not seemed obvious in many different places and times. Caste hierarchy was the assumed background of the place and time in which Sikhism emerged. From the beginning, the Sikh faith rejected the idea of caste. It advanced a profoundly countercultural assertion of universal human equality.

Sikh gurus recognized that even after being formally rejected, the caste system might live on in the subtle impressions of people, so they sought to introduce practical changes that would do away with the systemic racism of the caste system.

Langar was established, whereby Sikhs and members of other faiths would be welcome to enjoy a meal at a gurdwara at no cost. People would sit on the floor together enjoying delicious food, regardless of their background or social station. Langar operationalized this idea of social equality.

Names could also be an indicator of caste background, so the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh ji, assigned the last name “Singh” to all Sikh men and “Kaur” to all Sikh women. This served the important objective of obscuring caste background and promoting the practical recognition of equality and universal human dignity.

As a Christian, I see many practical parallels between the social history of Christianity and Sikhism. Both came on the scene in highly unequal societies and championed the rights of the poor and the oppressed. I feel a great deal of kinship with the Sikh community because of a shared appreciation for the role faith can play in impelling us to work for a more just society.

Equality and universal human dignity are not ideas that came to us through scientific discovery. Equality is a normative idea, not subject to experimentation and not falsifiable through the scientific method. It is a matter of indisputable history that faith, in the way it invites us to go beyond things that are knowable through reason alone, has led us to see the dignity and worth of all human beings. From its very inception, Sikhism was defined by its rejection of the caste system, the prevailing system of inequality.

When I was in India about three years ago, I had the honour of meeting with Dr. Udit Raj, a leading activist for the rights of Dalits and a member of India's Parliament with the governing BJP. Caste-based discrimination continues to be a major challenge, despite the best efforts of many from all faiths and in all parts of Indian society to combat it.

I was glad to have met Dr. Raj before visiting Sri Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple, because by explaining the ongoing impact of the caste system, he helped me understand in a particular way the vital importance of Sikhism's rejection of it. It made my visit to Sri Harmandir Sahib that much more meaningful. The Golden Temple is more than just a temple. Continuing the Sikh tradition of Langar, tens of thousands of people are fed at that temple every single day. However, we do not have to go that far to get a good meal; our local gurdwara offers the same.

Early Sikhs did not just fight against caste-based discrimination, but also defended freedom of religion, even for those who were not part of their community. The ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, gave his life to defend the religious freedom of the Hindu community, then under pressure to convert to Islam. He set an example of courage and self-sacrifice, which Sikhs have continued to follow to this day.

In a time of intensifying conflict between different communities, Sikhs sought to advance freedom and justice, and have continued to do so until the present day. The Sikh experience in Canada has been defined by remarkable successes, including rich contributions in commerce, culture, philanthropy and politics.

Canada is a community of communities, a place where people can celebrate and practise their distinctiveness and recognize particular community with those who share their culture or faith, while still being part of a larger and united community that is one nation. I do not believe we should think of ourselves as a postnational state, but rather as a state that seeks unity in the midst of its diversity. Sikhs have become a vital part of our community of communities, of our cultural mosaic.

However, Sikhs have faced some particular challenges in Canada as well. The Komagata Maru incident and other cases of official discrimination come to mind, as do continuing instances where the Sikh community is falsely portrayed as violent or where minor instances of proposed religious accommodation are spuriously rejected.

The Sikh community members have a long history of standing up for their rights and the rights of others. We must always stand with them to defend religious liberty, understanding that the principle of religious liberty is not about seeking special accommodation for one group or another, but it is about defending an idea that protects us all.

The right of a Sikh to wear a turban while working in the public service, the right of a Muslim physician to refuse to participate in or refer for euthanasia, the right of a Quaker not to join the military, the right of a Jew to receive time off work during holy days and the right of an atheist not to participate in civic prayer are not special rights. These are fundamental rights. These are not rights invented by newcomers. These are rights contained in our implied bill of rights since 1867, reaffirmed in Diefenbaker's bill of rights and in the charter.

We would never have had a country without the clear protection of the rights of minority faith communities. They are fundamental to who we are, and as Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji understood when he gave his life for Hindus, we put our own fundamental human rights on shakier footing when we fail to uphold them for anyone else.

There is a difficult history whereby Sikhs have come to be portrayed in some quarters as violent. In June of 1984, in the context of escalating tensions overseas, the Indian army invaded the Golden Temple Complex. This was called Operation Blue Star. It was aimed at rooting out militants. However, the attack left many civilians dead who simply had gone to their faith's most holy site in order to pray. After this attack, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by a Sikh bodyguard, and this was followed by a campaign of organized violence, torture and slaughter against the Sikh community in parts of India. These events had a searing impact on the Sikh community.

When I was at the Holocaust museum in Israel, our guide told us that Israelis are a post-traumatic people; that is, they live in the shadow of and are deeply impacted by this experience of violence that their community has been through. The post-traumatic aspect of Sikh identity is an important part of Sikh history, and it reinforces the community's commitment to fighting for human rights, their own and those of others.

The call for remembrance and for justice and reconciliation is always important. We do not move forward by forgetting the past. Rather, we move forward by remembering it and by seeking to learn its lessons.

On the heels of the violence of 1984, Canada experienced the largest act of terrorism in its history, the bombing of Air India Flight 182. This terrible event was linked to ongoing tensions in India, and it unfortunately furthered negative stereotypes about the Sikh community, even though many of the victims were themselves from the Sikh community.

Unfortunately, this has led at times to the confused lumping together of violent extremists with those who legitimately advocate for human rights. So let us always be clear as parliamentarians that violence has absolutely no place in this country, but people who advocate peacefully for human rights or for political change have every right to do so. The Sikh community in Canada is a model community, no more violent or extreme than the Christian community or the Jewish community. These painful events of the past are important to remember and reflect on, and we can move forward in a way that draws from the wisdom of the gurus, who taught understanding, peaceful coexistence and commitment to universal human dignity.

Today, the Sikh community members continue to be leaders in the fight for human rights, for human rights here in Canada and in other parts of the world. It has been a pleasure to work recently with different organizations to advance the cause of the persecuted Sikh and Hindu community in Afghanistan. I was pleased to join so many of my opposition colleagues last week tabling petitions supporting their cause.

The response from the Sikh community to the crisis facing their fellows in Afghanistan is quite revealing. They want to see Canada offer refuge to these incredibly vulnerable people, but they want to be part of the process by which these refugees come as private sponsors. All the government has to do is allow this process to happen. We know how successful private-sponsored refugees are in general, because they come into existing communities of love and support, which can help them integrate into Canadian life.

In the last election, Conservatives promised to create a special program to allow vulnerable religious minorities in Afghanistan to be directly sponsored to Canada. I made a statement on this issue in December of 2015, and I wrote to the Minister of Immigration again this summer. The government has had three years to take action, and nothing would make me happier than to see it take real action on this file, sooner rather than later.

I focused my remarks today specifically on issues around human rights, which is an area of great passion for me and I know for the Sikh community as well. I look forward to continuing to work with these great Canadians to advance the cause of justice and to make sure that all people, regardless of their background, are recognized by their community in the same way that they are recognized in the eyes of God: as people with intrinsic and immutable dignity and value.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in April of this year, for the first time in more than 100 years, the Sikh community of Victoria celebrated Vaisakhi with a parade. Over 1,000 people came out. It was full of light. It was full of colour. It was full of energy. That summarizes what the Sikh community has brought to our community.

I was so pleased to second my friend's bill when he brought it forward to recognize the contribution of the hard-working people of Sikh ancestry who live in our community. It is particularly relevant on Vancouver Island, because so many of that community came here in the early part of the 20th century to establish themselves and create a new life for their family.

In fact, we have had a community of Sikh immigrants, who first established themselves in our community of Victoria in 1904. People forget just how long they have been an integral part of our community. We have had a few gurdwaras, especially the Khalsa Diwan Sikh temple on Topaz Avenue, the Punjabi Akali Sikh temple on Graham Street and the Gurdwara Singh Sabha temple on Cecelia Road. We have a large and vibrant community, heirs to that tradition of which I spoke, people who come to make a better life for themselves in our community.

During his remarks, my friend for Surrey—Newton properly paid tribute to the history and success of this community. Through hard work, it has made such a difference in our community.

For example, he talked of some of the travails of that community, which I would also like to refer to, such as the Komagata Maru incident of 1914. However, some of the successes also need to be celebrated. The hard work of that community has led to success in so many different fields.

I would like to pay tribute to the Jawl family, which is famous in the business community for its work in development and is celebrated for what I call a “handshake” business. A handshake from the Jawl family is all one needs to create multi-million dollar enterprises. It is revered and loved in our community for its charity as well.

I always tell the story when new Canadians are sworn in. Mr. Gordy Dodd, a gentleman of Sikh tradition from south India, came here. Mr. Dodd sat in the parking lot of his furniture store business, on a platform about 100 metres over that. He had people come and donate money to the Red Cross to help the victims of the flooding in Calgary. When I asked him why he was doing that, he said, “Because we're all Canadians and we stand together”. I am proud to call that community the Sikh community of Victoria.

I am also proud because I had the opportunity to teach Moe Sihota when he was at law school. He will not remember that. He was the first Sikh elected to a federal or provincial seat in all of Canada, when he was elected in British Columbia. He served until 2001. In 1991, he became the first Sikh cabinet minister anywhere in our country. He has made enormous contributions not only to my party, but to the people of British Columbia as well, for example, the major expansion of B.C. parks. His commitment to the environment is legendary in our community.

We have another Sikh leader who is seeking to join us in the House of Commons. His name is Jagmeet Singh. He is the first visible minority to serve as leader of any of the major parties and is of course a proud Sikh himself. I was buoyed by the comments of my hon. friends about the efforts that the government would soon make to allow him to join us in the House of Commons and continue the tradition of service for which the Sikh community is so noted. I was pleased to hear the word “days” not “months” being used by the hon. member in his remarks.

I must mention the travesty of the Komagata Maru incident of 1914. Just as we are soon going to give a long overdue apology to the Jewish community for the MS St. Louis incident, this was the subject of apologies that were long overdue.

Imagine hundreds of people on a boat, British citizens, as part of the Empire, who were coming to establish themselves as Canadians but were unable to do so essentially due to racism against what were then called Asiatics. Rules were made in 1908 by the Canadian government to stop them from coming here. They were required to pay an enormous sum of $200. They were required to come to Canada via a continuous journey from India, even though there were very few ways to continuously journey from India in order to get to Canada. All sorts of fraudulent hurdles were put up in order to stop them. What they have contributed since that community finally established itself is legendary.

I am so proud to stand here today and support my friend for bringing to the attention of the House the need for Sikh heritage multiculturalism to be established.

I point out that in 2005 former NDP leader Jack Layton said, “It will be a wonderful day when a motion could be adopted in the House of Commons to recognize the five Sikh symbols.” Also, former NDP member the hon. Judy Wasylycia-Leis moved a motion in Parliament that year to give proper recognition and respect for Sikhism and an equal place for Sikhs in Canada. Therefore, I can say that our friend is continuing a proud tradition that our party has worked with. It is not a partisan issue. We all want to see this established.

I salute my friend for bringing this bill forward. I look forward to enthusiastically supporting it when it comes to a vote.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Sikhs first came to this great country in 1897. Today there are over half a million Sikhs in Canada, making up approximately 1.5% of the population.

The story of this bill began in 1897, with Risaldar Major Kesur Singh, of the British Indian Army, landing on the shores of this great land. Kesur Singh and his fellow Sikh soldiers were in awe of this land's abundance and beauty, so when they went back, they told their families and friends, and a few years later, Sikhs started to migrate and settle in Abbotsford, working in the forestry and agriculture sectors.

By 1906, there were 1,500 Sikhs in Canada. They faced many challenges: the anti-Oriental riots of 1907, a push to have them moved to British Honduras, legislation to prohibit them from owning property, and not being allowed to vote, and the list goes on.

ln 1914, the Kamagata Maru landed in Burrard Inlet with 376 passengers, 340 of whom were Sikhs. They were ordered to leave, and when they returned, 19 were shot and killed. However, they were not to be deterred. They worked hard and pushed for the right to vote. They built communities, gurdwaras and industry.

They joined the Canadian army, beginning with Private Buckam Singh, who served in the 20th Canadian Infantry in Flanders. Private Singh was one of approximately 10 Sikh Canadians who served in the Canadian army during the Great War. He was wounded on the battlefield and sent back home to Kitchener after he contracted tuberculosis. He would later pass away and be buried there. Every year on Remembrance Day, Sikhs in Kitchener-Waterloo go to his grave for a special ceremony.

ln 1943, the Khalsa Diwan Society, the first Sikh society in Canada, sent a 12-person delegation to seek the right to vote in Canada, and by 1947, they had received that right, thanks to the society. Though many officials tried to thwart their efforts to strive, specifically the likes of William Hopkinson, and two Sikh pioneers, Bhai Bhag Singh and Bhai Battan Singh, even lost their lives to his manipulative and racist actions, the Sikh pioneers continued to push ahead.

Sikhs in Canada have always had a passion to build institutes and co-operatives to help their communities succeed but at the same time preserve and cherish their faith, language and culture. In fact, they are the most visible of visible minorities, sporting steel bracelets, turbans and beards.

Besides gurdwaras, they founded the Guru Nanak Mining and Trust Company, in 1909, in Lions Bay, West Vancouver, under the guidance of Professor Teja Singh. Today there is a Khalsa Credit Union, with almost half a billion dollars in assets, and there are more than a dozen Sikh private schools, including the Khalsa School, the Sikh Academy Elementary School, the Guru Angad Dev Elementary School and the Gobind Sarvar School, to name a few. They have built their own non-profit crematoriums, including the Riverside Funeral Home and Crematorium, to help with the funeral rites of Sikh and Hindu Canadians. They have built free kitchens, feeding thousands daily in their gurdwaras from coast to coast to coast and also through Guru Nanak's Free Kitchen on the Downtown Eastside.

This bill is about the story of my family and many like myself. ln 1959, my father, Mohan Singh Sarai, immigrated to Canada, settled in Abbotsford, worked in the sawmill industry and bought a small farm. He loved this country and sponsored my mother, Amrik Kaur Sarai, in 1967. Subsequently, my whole immediate and most of my extended family made Canada home. Sarais, Bains, Randahawas, Bahais and Dosanjhs all made Canada their home. However, none of this would be possible, including me being here today, if it was not for the pioneers who first settled, who fought for basic labour and voter rights, and who cleared the path for equal opportunities for all Canadians.

Members may wonder why we need these heritage months. Why celebrate diversity and the cultures and faiths that call Canada home? It is because that is what Canada is all about. I think Canada is this way because of our indigenous peoples. Our first nations welcomed all to this great land, even though the thanks and gratitude were not always as such. They shared this abundant land's bounty and beauty, and although there have been times when Canada has not kept up to that reputation, the pendulum always swings back because of these elders and their values. Therefore, on behalf of Sikh Canadians, I want to thank all the indigenous nations of this great country who welcomed us and allowed us to be who we are and celebrate our diversity.

The bill will mark April as Sikh heritage month. This will mark a month which for Sikhs is so important. It will commemorate Vaisakhi, the day the Khalsa was initiated, a day on which hundreds of thousands walk the streets of Surrey, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto, singing hymns, sharing food and recognizing the human race as one, the freedom to worship as we please and social justice as a human right.

The bill will commemorate the Sikhs in Canada whether it is Private Buckam Singh; or industrialists Asa Singh Johal and Suneet Singh Tuli; or farmers like Rashpal Sing Dhilon; or women like pioneers Harnaam Kaur or Justice Shergill; or policing firsts like Inspector Baltej Singh Dhillon; or judicial firsts like Wally Oppal; or political firsts like Dr. Gulzar Cheema, the Hon. Herb Dhaliwal and Moe Sihota; or journalists like Belle Puri and Simi Sara; or athletes like Arjan Bhullar, Robin Bawa and David Sidoo; or our comedians, Lilly Singh and Jus Reign. All of these are just a sprinkle of the thousands who have contributed to the beautiful fabric of this land.

It is equally imperative that we recognize many of the lawmakers who really changed the way Canada saw its immigrants and diverse cultures. Notably the Right Hon. Pierre Trudeau and the Right Hon. Jean Chrétien, who implemented the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the policy of multiculturalism. If it were not for these two key bills, we would not be tabling and debating this bill today.

Let us celebrate the achievements of Sikhs in Canada and leave stories for our children.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order to ask you to call quorum.